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Since President Obama signed the massive health-care law March 23, there has been confusion about its details, and when parts of it kick in. See these sites to sort that out, or hunt for coverage.
Since President Obama signed the massive health-care law March 23, there has been confusion about its details, and when parts of it kick in. See these sites to sort that out, or hunt for coverage.
Coverage for all. If you don't have health coverage, or have been turned down for some reason, the Coverage for All site, run by the Foundation for Health Coverage Education, can help you find out about options. A short "quiz" determines whether you may be eligible for free or low-cost health care, and describes how to apply for it, depending on your state and county of residence. The foundation's annual report shows its funding is from a variety of corporate, foundation, and insurance-industry sources.
Watch for scams. Health insurance scams have been cropping up since the national legislation passed, according to some experts. The healthinsurance.org site warns of fake policies, bogus discount medical cards, door-to-door sales offers, and blast faxes for phony benefits. The site lists ways to defend against fraud by reading the fine print, taking your time, and trusting your gut. And, "if the plan is called 'ObamaCare,' it's definitely not endorsed by the U.S. government."
http://go.philly.com/coverage1
Family information. The Kaiser Family Foundation answers questions about the extension of dependent coverage to age 26, the temporary high-risk pool, insurance exchanges, Medicare changes, a glossary, and primers - all at this site. The foundation, which conducts independent research and policy analysis, is not associated with Kaiser Permanente, a health-care provider, or Kaiser Industries, a chemical manufacturer. It also runs a health-news operation that pumps out updates on glitches in the new law, health-industry developments, and medical news.
Medline. Recent news and the latest academic studies touching on health insurance issues are available at this page of the National Institutes of Health's site called Medline, which includes a huge database of research material.