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Agency for Healthcare Research and
Quality
The lead agency charged with supporting research designed to improve
the quality of health care, reduce its cost, and broaden access to
essential services.
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Department
of Health and Human Services
Web site has materials concerning recently enacted federal health
care laws. These materials include information on the Health
Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) and the
Mental Health Parity Act of 1996 (MHPA).
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Federal Employees Health
Benefit Plan
Gives current and valuable information to help you choose a health
plan. This site offers extensive information on the health benefit
plans offered to employees, beneficiaries and retirees of the
Federal government. Participants are able to obtain information on
the various plans offered as well as instructions for changing
plans, filing claims, reporting fraud, and patients rights.
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Healthfinder
Sponsored by the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office
of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP) is a gateway
consumer health information web site that can lead consumers to
selected online publications, databases and web sites.
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Indian Health Service
An agency of the U.S. Public Health Service, provides information
about healthcare services available to the general public and offers
answers to questions and concerns regarding illness and protection.
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Medicare
Provides information about Medicare and the expanded health plan
options with the creation Medicare+Choice. Information is available
in English and Spanish.
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State Children's
Health Insurance
Helps states expand health insurance to children whose families earn
too much to qualify for Medicaid, yet not enough to afford private
insurance.
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State
Insurance Departments
Continue to regulate heath insurance issuers (e.g., insurance
companies or HMOs) who sell group insurance to ERISA-covered group
health plans, even under the Health Insurance Portability and
Accountability Act (HIPAA), the Mental Health Parity Act, and the
Newborns’ and Mothers’ Health Protection Act. In addition,
States continue to have responsibilities in individual insurance
market (e.g., selling individual insurance policies). The National
Association of Insurance Commissioners has created access to state
web sites with information on particular state health insurance
laws.
You may also contact your state insurance commissioner for further
information on particular state health insurance laws.
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TRICARE Military
Health System
TRICARE (formerly known as Champus) provides health care coverage for
active and retired members of the Armed Forces, military families,
and others entrusted to the care of the Department of Defense. This
site contains information on the TRICARE benefits, resources,
administration, etc. including current events affecting the military
health system.
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National
Women's Health Information Center
This site includes a database and links to more than 1,000
federal agencies, publications and hundreds of government-screened
private sector organizations related to women's health.
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Veterans Administration
Sponsors a telemedicine healthcare site dedicated towards
improving access, coordination, continuity and outcomes for
healthcare for veterans. Through the use of this electronic
information and support, consumers are able to overcome distance and
time.
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AARP
Formerly known as the American Association of Retired Persons, provides useful generic consumer
information on managed care. Included in this site are a glossary of
terms, checkpoints for comparing plans, descriptions of differences
between traditional fee-for-service and managed care, and AARP
principles on essential managed care plan features and services.
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Commonwealth
Fund
Offers articles researched and written by experts in fields such
as managed care quality, employer value-based purchasing, insurance
and coverage, and women, children and minority health.
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Employer Quality Partnership
Provides help to consumers and employers about health care. This
site offers advice on how to navigate the entire health care system
whether its about questions for a doctor, determining a plan's value
and/or choosing a plan.
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Foundation
for Accountability
Provides a strong consumer focus on providing general
information about health care quality and quality measurement. Their
section "Educating Consumers About Health Care Quality"
includes papers and articles on understanding health care quality
and highlights national education efforts.
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Georgetown
University Institute for Health Care Research and Policy
Produces high-quality research on a variety of health policy
issues, including group health plan rights under ERISA and HIPAA.
Their interactive section, entitled the "Home Page for
Kassebaum-Kennedy Consumer Guides" provides geographical
information about plan rights under ERISA/HIPAA for consumers.
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Joint
Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations
Evaluates and accredits more than 18,000 health care
organizations in the United States, including hospitals, health care
networks, managed care organizations, and health care organizations
that provide home care, long term care, behavioral health care,
laboratory, and ambulatory care services. Their web site has useful
information about quality, making health care choices, and
performance measurement. Performance reports on health care
facilities can be accessed and downloaded.
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Leap
Frog Group
Comprised of more than 100 public and private organizations that
provide health care benefits, The Leapfrog Group works with medical
experts throughout the U.S. to identify problems and propose
solutions that it believes will improve hospital systems that could
break down and harm patients. Representing approximately 32 million
health care consumers in all 50 states, Leapfrog provides important
information and solutions for consumers and health care providers.
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National Committee for Quality
Assurance
The National Committee for Quality Assurance is a private,
501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization dedicated to improving health
care quality everywhere. Frequently referred to as a watchdog
for the managed care industry, NCQA is active in quality oversight
and improvement initiatives at all levels of the health care system.
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Pacific
Business Group on Health
Provides practical and cutting edge information about how to use
report cards and other indicators to select health plans and
providers. It also has good information on health services in
general and health and wellness benefits.
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Service
Employees International Union
The nation’s largest healthcare union. This site details many of
their activities in the healthcare arena.