By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    physical health
    5 Ways Playing Games Can Improve Neural and Physical Health
    September 9, 2022
    Reasons For Hair Loss and Its Treatment
    Reasons For Hair Loss and Its Treatment
    February 16, 2022
    healthcare organization
    5 Actionable Strategies For Healthcare Organizations
    August 15, 2022
    Latest News
    Grounded Healing: A Natural Ally for Sustainable Healthcare Systems
    May 16, 2025
    Learn how to Renew your Medical Card in West Virginia
    May 16, 2025
    Choosing the Right Supplement Manufacturer for Your Brand
    May 1, 2025
    Engineering Temporary Hospitals for Extreme Weather
    April 24, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    Ireland Reveals Its Patient Stories
    August 13, 2015
    CMS delays final rule
    CMS Delays 2014 Final Rule
    November 25, 2013
    Can An Medication Reminder App Boost Adherence?
    September 28, 2020
    Latest News
    Building Smarter Care Teams: Aligning Roles, Structure, and Clinical Expertise
    May 18, 2025
    The Critical Role of Healthcare in Personal Injury Recovery: A Comprehensive Guide for Victims
    May 14, 2025
    The Backbone of Successful Trials: Clinical Data Management
    April 28, 2025
    Advancing Your Healthcare Career through Education and Specialization
    April 16, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: AskBlue Tries to Explain Health Insurance and Obamacare
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > Policy & Law > Health Reform > AskBlue Tries to Explain Health Insurance and Obamacare
Health ReformPolicy & LawPublic Health

AskBlue Tries to Explain Health Insurance and Obamacare

DavidEWilliams
Last updated: September 2, 2013 8:11 am
DavidEWilliams
Share
3 Min Read
obamacare confusion
SHARE

obamacare confusionPolls show that few people understand health insurance or the Affordable Care Act. That’s especially so for those who have the most to gain from Obamacare: people who are uninsured and haven’t had health insurance for a while. It doesn’t help that so much of the political debate and news coverage is about the battle over Obamacare rather than education about how it works.

obamacare confusionPolls show that few people understand health insurance or the Affordable Care Act. That’s especially so for those who have the most to gain from Obamacare: people who are uninsured and haven’t had health insurance for a while. It doesn’t help that so much of the political debate and news coverage is about the battle over Obamacare rather than education about how it works.

Amidst all the noise, the BlueCross BlueShield Association has posted a new website, AskBlue to try to explain insurance in lay terms, educate the public on the impact of Obamacare, and point users to Blues plans in their area to buy insurance. All of this is happening in the run-up to the scheduled October opening of the health insurance marketplaces.

I had a look at the site. It does a good job of explaining “What Do I Get? What Do I Pay? How Do I Choose?” But let’s face it, the concepts are hard enough for even a well-educated consumer to understand. For example:

More Read

Awaiting Results of Virginia Appeal Court
Has China Done a Good Job Handling H7N9?
Calling for Responsible Healthcare Journalism
FDA Gives Approval for Lap-Band Use With Less Obese Patients
The Billion Dollar Healthcare IT Opportunity That the US Government Wasted
  • Premiums versus out-of-pocket costs. The differences between copays, deductibles, coinsurance and how they interact with one another and with out-of-pocket maximums
  • Types of plans: PPOs v. HDHPS v. HMOs, and the hybrid models like POS plans
  • “Metal” levels: Bronze, Gold, Silver, Platinum that are independent of the types of plans
  • Two terms for the new insurance shopping sites: “marketplaces” and “exchanges”

Despite all these topics, the site barely skims the surface on topics that matter such as: choosing a doctor, navigating the delivery system, evidence based care, pharmacy benefits, FSAs, patient portals.

Bottom line: Can we really expect people to understand all of this and act on it in an intelligent manner?

The site is a solid resource for those seeking to understand more. But all the complexities of the commercial insurance world will continue to make it pretty hard for most people to optimize their use of benefits, and will keep administrative costs high.

(confused by Obamacare / shutterstock)

Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

Do You Grind Your Teeth at Night? Here’s How Night Guards and TMJ Treatments Can Help
Do You Grind Your Teeth at Night? Here’s How Night Guards and TMJ Treatments Can Help
Dental health
May 21, 2025
The Secret To A Confident Smile: Top Tips For Better Teeth
The Secret To A Confident Smile: Top Tips For Better Teeth
Dental health
May 21, 2025
Clinical Expertise
Building Smarter Care Teams: Aligning Roles, Structure, and Clinical Expertise
Health care
May 18, 2025
Grounded Healing: A Natural Ally for Sustainable Healthcare Systems
Grounded Healing: A Natural Ally for Sustainable Healthcare Systems
Health
May 15, 2025

You Might also Like

Is Patient Privacy Endangered by Online Search?

July 12, 2013
HIPAA Breach
eHealthMedical RecordsPolicy & LawSocial MediaTechnology

Social Media’s Effect on HIPAA Privacy and Security

September 6, 2013

5 Reasons Why Investing in Quality Exercise Apparel & Equipment is Worth It

May 17, 2016

Implementing Innovative Value-Based Purchasing and Readmission Reduction Strategies

October 7, 2012
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?