Health Insurance and You!

Last summer, we blogged about new, standardized forms created by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners that aimed to simplify the health insurance shopping process by allowing insurers and plans to be compared directly. Much like food nutrition labels, the four-page forms included charts listing the costs of common procedures for in-network and out-of-network providers, sample calculations for three scenarios, and definitions of common insurance terms. The new forms would not replace the longer booklets that currently describe plans, but instead, would serve as a supplement.

When the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) unveiled these forms in August, the goal was to have them ready by March 23 of this year. But several health insurance companies, who would be the ones developing the forms, wanted more time, according to an article by Susan Jaffe of Kaiser Health News. Insurers argued that the March deadline would force them to duplicate efforts and create both styles of forms for plans available in 2012: once, in the usual format, for continuing enrollment at the end of 2011; and again, in the new format, for those enrolling in March or later. If the deadline were pushed back, they said, they could use the old format for 2012 and begin using the new one in 2013.

Now, writes Ms. Jaffe in a new article, questions still remain about how exactly the forms should be used. HHS is still reviewing public comments on the sample forms. Given that the March deadline is less than two months away, it’s likely to be pushed back. But advocates for consumers and seniors urge HHS and the Obama administration not to weaken it. Several organizations, including the American Cancer Society, Consumers Union, and AARP, have written and signed an open letter to the president asking for the forms to be available by this fall, in time for enrollment for 2013. The letter also asks that the forms include premium and cost information as well as examples, and that they be required for group and individual market plans.