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Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Why do I need Health Insurance?


The Affordable Care Act (ACA), or Obama Care, for Texas, is a federally run program where the federal Department of Health and Human Services assumes full responsibility for the development and operation of the Health Insurance marketplace. Texas can move to a State Partnership at any time, which works with the Federal Government but Texas could retain the ability to make all key decisions and tailor the marketplace to meet the conditions and needs.

Here are 5 website that can help you with more information:
1. www.HHS.gov
The US Department of Health and Human Services

2. www.healthcare.gov
This is the destination for the Health Insurance Marketplace. The categories are Individuals and Families, Small Businesses and All Topics

Healthcare.gov is close to a one-stop shop for state specific information and links to state Marketplaces. Rates and comparison shopping is reportedly on track to go live October 1, 2013. This site has a 24/7 call center with live operatios, Live Chat and Sign Up so a viewer can register their email address to be notified of breaking news and developments. Design is clean and colorful and easy to read.

3. http://kff.org
he Kaiser Family Foundation is a treasure trove of information on ACA and health care related topics. There are benchmark studies on cost and availability, results of opinion polls showing what different segments of the public thinks about specific features of ACA and perspectives from those who are pro and con ACA.

http://profile.kff.org allows a reader to sign up for a myriad of update options on a variety of health care topics. Twice daily updates are available to coincide with the news cycle as well as email and text alerts to fast breaking stories. Professionally developed presentations, white papers and downloads of studies and laws are readily available and free. The site is easy to navigate.

4. http://www.cms.gov
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is the official website for Medicare and Medicaid and cover over 100 million people. There are strong connections between eligibility for the ACA and Medicaid.

http://cms.gov/about-cms/aca/affordable-care-act-in-action-at-cms.html This section of the CMS site that specifically deals with ACA, Navigators, resources and eligibility.
This website is not quite as user friendly as the other resources listed but the scope of Medicare and Medicaid is enormous. The FAQ and News Release pages are helpful when trying to track down certain topics.

5. http://business.usa.gov/healthcare
This site has a “wizard” that allows a business owner to select a state, input information their business and quickly navigate the maze of regulations pertaining to a business including information links tailored to the size of business. There is a delay of one year for mandated Coverages for business but this calculator tool is something a business could use immediately, if they wished. The simplicity of the calculator masks the depth of information available on this site when you dig down.

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