HealthCareCoach.com Launches to Help Consumers Better Utilize Their Health Insurance; Study Finds Consumers Want Guidance to Get More From Health Insurance Coverage.

Health/Medical Writers

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 18, 2002

While a majority of Americans have health insurance, many are overwhelmed with how best to use the service they have. These consumers have experienced the frustration of navigating the system alone, so they want a guide to help them get the most out of their coverage as well as find alternative ways to get the care they need. A comprehensive new web site dedicated to helping people with health insurance get what they need out of the health care system was launched today. HealthCareCoach.com (www.healthcarecoach.com) aids consumers to better utilize the health insurance they have. The new web site is a project of the National Health Law Program (NHeLP), a non-profit organization that has worked on health care issues for more than 30 years. NHeLP created the site with support from The Pew Charitable Trusts, Open Society Institute, Jewish Healthcare Foundation, California HealthCare Foundation and The Commonwealth Fund.

To ascertain the needs of today's insured, HealthCareCoach.com conducted several studies prior to its launch, honing in on what consumers with insurance need. What was clear from the more than 1,000 consumers surveyed by Beta Research Corporation were the frustrations the insured have with learning how to maximize their current insurance programs and benefits.

Twenty-five percent of those surveyed rate the availability of information from all sources related to health care as fair to poor. In addition, 64 percent ranked the overall health care system as fair to poor. The survey also showed that more than 50 percent of the respondents deal with an illness or condition in their family and 85 percent have used their insurance in the last three months.

"Consumers with health insurance want to get the information they need to make the most informed decisions regarding their health care options," said Laurence Lavin, director of National Health Law Program. "These consumers have felt the pain of being in the health care system -- they've hit walls trying to get items covered or had claims denied. Our goal is to help them help themselves to find solutions to these challenges."

The new website features a variety of channels to aid consumers to better help themselves in their decision-making process. Consumers will find suggestions for keeping health care costs down, coping with emergencies, and dealing with an insurance company that denies a claim. In addition, the website will cover ideas for consumers who are considered high risk by insurance carriers and contain information on what happens when people lose their health plan coverage.

HealthCareCoach.com also features news articles on health information, details on the types of insurance available to consumers, links to other related web sites and an opportunity for consumers to voice their thoughts and debate national health care issues.

"Most consumers need help in navigating the system," added Lavin. "That is where the idea of a coach came to life. We don't want to dictate to consumers, but rather provide information and resources to make them feel that there is a valuable resource for them to turn to get the most health care from their health insurance."

About HealthCareCoach.com

HealthCareCoach.com's mission is to provide consumers with non-commercial, reliable information to empower them to use their health insurance more effectively. The site seeks to provide up-to-date and timely information that consumers will find useful and save them money. HealthCareCoach.com wants to provide people with an opportunity for their voice to be heard in the nation's debate on health care issues via polls, email responses and other feedback methods.

About NHeLP

The National Health Law Program (NHeLP) is a non-profit legal organization. For more than 30 years, NHeLP has worked to improve access to quality health care and educate consumers about their legal rights.