For Immediate Release: July 1, 2010
Contact: (202) 225-4761
Eric Wortman, Communications Director
Contact: (202) 536-6190
Edward Stern, Deputy Press Secretary
Congressman Salazar heralds today’s launch of new website to help Coloradoans explore health care options
Healthcare.gov is a Powerful New Information Tool That
Will Give Consumers More Control Over Their Own Health Care
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Congressman John Salazar announced an innovative new on-line tool that will help consumers take control of their health care by connecting them to new information and resources that will help them access quality, affordable health care coverage. Called for by the recently passed health care reform bill (the Affordable Care Act), HealthCare.gov was launched today and is the first website to provide consumers with both public and private health coverage options tailored specifically for their needs in a single, easy-to-use tool.
“HealthCare.gov is an amazing new tool to help American citizens explore all the health care choices that are now available to them,” said Congressman Salazar. “For too many years, the insurance market has been much too confusing and too hard to navigate. HealthCare.gov now makes it easier for community members and small businesses to find the coverage options that are best for them so they can get the health care they need. I’m proud to have fought for health care reform and glad that it is beginning to make health care more accessible to folks in Colorado”
HealthCare.gov is the first website to combine information about public programs, from Medicaid to the new Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan, with information from thousands of private insurance plans across the country. Even better, HealthCare.gov’s insurance options finder automatically sorts through this huge catalog of options to identify the ones that may be right for small businesses. In addition, the website provides extensive information about consumer rights in the health insurance market, tips for how to navigate the market’s complexities, and how the Affordable Care Act can help citizens. The website also connects consumers to quality rankings for local hospitals as well as the latest tips for how to stay healthy.
“This website is unlike any government website you have ever seen or used before,” said U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Chief Technology Officer Todd Park. “It was developed with significant consumer input and is remarkably easy to navigate. This is despite the sheer volume of content it offers consumers: more than 500 pages of new content, thousands upon thousands of coverage choices, and literally billions of potential personal scenarios supported by our insurance options finder. And it’s a site that will continue to grow with ongoing consumer feedback and as our health care system improves.”
As the health care market transforms, so will www.HealthCare.gov. In October, 2010, price estimates for health insurance plans will be available online. In the months ahead, new information on preventing disease and illness and improving the quality of healthcare for all Americans will also be posted. The website also includes a series of opportunities where users can indicate whether pages were helpful to them and how the site can be improved.
“People need to see what choices are offered, what options cost, and how coverage works in practice,” said Karen Pollitz, Deputy Director for Consumer Support, Office of Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight. “Today HealthCare.gov takes an important first step in that direction. In the coming months and years, we will add pricing and plan performance information so that consumers can see and understand and make meaningful choices about their health coverage.”
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