Today the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced the creation of a new government-run health insurance website - healthcare.gov - as well as the highly-anticipated high-risk pool program.
The new website, mandated by the new health reform law, is an information clearinghouse meant to help consumers navigate what can sometimes be a complicated health insurance market. Only in version 1.0, the site lists the insurers selling products in a given user's particular service area. In the autumn, the site will be enhanced with the addition of insurance products' prices and benefits information. Users can also log-on to learn more about how the new health reform law may impact them.
Also launched today, a few days past its anticipated launch date, is the new state-based temporary high-risk pool program, now called the Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan (PCIP). This temporary insurance program is designed to bridge the coverage gap for those with pre-existing conditions until state-run insurance exchanges are established in 2014. Slightly more than half of the states (29 of them) decided to run their own high-risk pool program, with the remaining 21 states allowing the federal government to step-in and administer theirs. Coverage for those who qualify is expected to kick-in August 1st for those who apply by July 15th.
To read more on these developments, visit the HHS press release, a Wall Street Journal story, or coverage from Kaiser Health News.
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