New Online Tool Lets Consumers Find and Compare Available Health Insurance Options

The Department of Health and Human Services recently unveiled a new tool on its HealthCare.gov website to assist consumers in finding health insurance options best suited to their individual health needs. This easy-to-use tool, found at http://finder.healthcare.gov/, provides information on private health insurance plans as well as public programs available to individuals, families, and small businesses.

To find the best health insurance plan for you, the tool will prompt you to provide information on the state you live in, the type of consumer you are, your current health insurance circumstances, your age, and your general health status. Taking into account the answers you provide, the tool presents and explains multiple options for obtaining health insurance that will cover your needs.

If you are in the market for individual or family insurance plans, you can compare out-of-pocket costs, premium estimates, and coverage of all private insurance plans that apply to you as a consumer. The tool even includes important information on individual insurance companies such as how accurate the estimates provided by the insurance company are likely to be and the percentage of people denied insurance by that company. The tool also provides information on small employer plans available in your local area.

You can visit the main HealthCare.gov website to learn more about health prevention topics, compare quality of care among hospitals, nursing homes, and dialysis centers, and gain a better understanding of current healthcare reform under the Affordable Care Act.