Many of us have frustratingly tried to decide which insurance plan to choose – and it’s like comparing apples to bananas to oranges, all in a foreign language. Thankfully, a preliminary federal rule announced on August 17 by the Department of Health and Human Services – implementing part of the health care reform law – will ensure that all consumers of private insurance are provided clear, consistent, and comparable information about their health plan benefits and coverage.
- An easy to understand summary of benefits and coverage; and
- A uniform glossary of terms commonly used in health insurance coverage such as “deductible” and “co-pay”.
Much of the discussion of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) focuses on the provisions that help expand access to insurance – by expanding eligibility for Medicaid and subsidizing coverage purchased through the new Health Insurance Exchanges (for people who don’t have access to affordable care through an employer). However, there are also many parts of the health care reform law, such as the rules proposed today, that provide valuable assistance to the more than 180 million health insurance consumers with private coverage.
