WARRENSVILLE HEIGHTS, OH- Congresswoman Marcia L. Fudge (OH-11) would like to inform the community of a greatly enhanced online resource to assist residents and small businesses in evaluating health care insurance options.  The website www.Healthcare.gov recently expanded to include an unprecedented level of data about insurance plans available at the local level.  Visitors to the website, which was created under provisions of the Affordable Care Act, can obtain detailed information about pricing and benefits, including the following:
• Insurance product choices for a given ZIP code, sorted by out-of-pocket limits, average cost per enrollee, or other factors.

• A summary of cost and coverage for insurance products for small groups that shows the available deductibles, range of co-pay options, included and excluded benefits, and benefits available for purchase at additional cost.

• The ability to filter product selection based on whether the plans are Health Savings Account eligible, have prescription drug, mental health, or maternity coverage, or allow for domestic partner or same sex coverage.

"Transparency and disclosure are important tools in the health insurance marketplace to help small business owners make the most informed decisions for themselves and their employees," said Congresswoman Fudge. "Small companies and individual proprietors often lack the negotiating power of larger companies.  According to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), they spend on average 18% more in obtaining health care coverage.   I was pleased to advocate early on for a way to harness the power of information to benefit all purchasers of insurance.  With its greatly expanded database, Healthcare.gov achieves that goal."
In 2009, the House passed an amendment to health care reform legislation introduced by Congresswoman Fudge that would create a program requiring technical assistance and information about health plans to be made available to small business owners.  In conference committee, a Senate amendment replaced the House version of this section of the health care reform bill.  It required the creation of a website and detailed the type of health insurance information to be provided. This provision became part of the Affordable Care Act that was signed into law by President Obama in March, 2010.
To access the small business Insurance Finder, go to the home page of www.HealthCare.gov and click on the blue tab at the top of the page.
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