Ineligible? Don't Be So Sure.
Uninsured Washington area residents shopping for health coverage -- or convinced they have to go without -- have a new tool to help them assess the options available to them. A Web site first developed for California by the nonprofit Foundation for Health Coverage Education now includes information specific to all 50 states and the District. The same information is available via a toll-free hotline for people using a phone rather than a computer.</br></br>While the information on the site isn't new -- several consumer groups have compiled essentially the same facts -- its interactive format lets users shortcut through complexities to personalized options much more quickly and easily. The foundation, funded largely by the insurance industry, argues that the oft-cited figure of 43 million uninsured Americans includes many people who don't know of the choices available to them.</br></br>Once a user identifies his state of residence, both the Web site and phone line use five simple questions to gauge a person's eligibility for public and private health plans open to those not covered by employers.</br></br>For example, if you report that you and your teenage son live in Washington, have no insurance and have a monthly income of $2,000, one plan you'll hear about will be the DC Healthy Families initiative, which provides health insurance to low-income children and their parents. The Web site also provides links to printable applications for many plans and phone numbers for insurers and government agencies.</br></br>Consumer advocates for the uninsured said they welcome any additional tools that could help people find insurance.