Want to understand how the new health law might affect you? Be prepared to spend some time online.
State insurance regulators 鈥� swamped by about the new health law 鈥� are looking forward to one of the earliest concrete pieces of the health overhaul: a consumer-friendly tool on the Web.
By July 1, the Department of Health and Human Services will set up a website that has a section for each state. Consumers and small businesses can consult it when shopping for insurance plans.
The federal website will have every health plan listed that is authorized by each state, a list of the plans鈥� network of providers, the services they offer, who is eligible and how to sign up. The portal will include private plans, Medicare, Medicaid, the and the new . It鈥檚 considered the first step in what will eventually be the state-based insurance exchanges.
The July 1 deadline for the preliminary Web portal was set in the health care law. With that date fast approaching, HHS recently on how to meet it.
Now the states are scrambling to get ready. 鈥淚t鈥檚 going to be a lot of data entry,鈥� said Stephanie Marquis, spokesperson for the .
The law spells out a pretty tall order for this portal, but HHS plans to roll it out , so at first it will just outline the basic plan information. But, come fall, more information should be available. 鈥淭he goal is that by October, you can actually compare multiple plans,鈥� said Marquis. 鈥淭here will be specific links and explanations of what the benefits are and what your rights are.鈥�
The portal is one of the parts in the health bill that鈥檚 supposed to help protect consumers, by making information clearer and more accessible 鈥� something most health plans usually aren鈥檛.
But in the meantime, insurance departments like Washington鈥檚 are fielding 鈥渁 lot of questions from consumers鈥� and answering them one at a time, Marquis said.
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