The Health & Human Services Department has added more features to an online tool that now lets consumers compare details about coverage and prices of 4,400 health plans offered by 250 insurers across the country.
Healthcare.gov offers consumers a one-stop-shop of public and private insurance coverage options and, when they are established, a gateway to state health insurance exchange portals, as called for under the health reform law.
The updated insurance finder tool on the Web site is designed to "shine some sunlight" on the details of how insurance options actually work, such as the percentage of people turned down when they try to purchase a selected plan, said HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius in an announcement Oct. 1. HHS introduced the online insurance finder in August.
The more robust features enable consumers to locate what benefits are included and excluded under a plan, including maternity care and prescription drugs, she said. While providing the base price for insurance plans, the online tool also offers other details like the percentage of individuals who are quoted a rate higher than the basic premium based on their health status.
Individuals can also compare selected plans by a variety of criteria, such as maximum out-of-pocket costs and deductibles to be paid before the insurance plan kicks in, said Todd Park, HHS chief technology officer, at a briefing.
"More transparency means more competition and more competition means lower prices and more value by insurers," he said. Insurers provided the information on the Web site.
Park said that in 2011 HHS will add the same pricing and compare features for insurance options for small businesses.
HHS has also added more information about Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) so that individuals who are eligible for those programs can understand the costs they share for services.
Yesterday, HHS awarded $49 million in grants to 48 states and the District of Columbia to begin planning state health insurance exchanges.
