Online Resources for Information on Health-Care Reform

Submitted by Dr. Cheryl Bowers

This is a collection of websites recommended by The Washington Post on federal health-care reform, sent to us by our terrific lobbyist in Sacramento, Amanda Levy.

Tuesday, April 6, 2010; HE06

The ink was hardly dry on the health-care overhaul law when foundations, industry groups and consumer advocates began putting together guides to the new rules. Here are some Web sites worth keeping an eye on:

• Kff.org: The Kaiser Family Foundation Web site has a lot of thorough information. To get started, under "New & Noteworthy," click on "summary of the law" for a good synopsis, and on "timeline" to see when various provisions of the law are scheduled to kick in.
• Familiesusa.org: Families USA is a nonprofit advocacy organization for health-care consumers. Click on the link to "Health Reform Central" to see just about everything you need to know about the new law. To get a recap of the major changes, click on the link that begins "Help is on the way" on the homepage.
• Healthinsuranceproviders.com: Click on "Health Care Reform" to see a timeline that's less descriptive than Kaiser's, but easier to grasp visually. The site belongs to an online insurance broker; if you're looking for health insurance, be sure to shop around other sites and brokers.
• Whitehouse.gov/health-insurance-consumer-protections: This is straight from the Obama administration. Keep in mind, it helped write the law. Tune out the superlatives and compare the information with the facts from advocacy groups such as Medicare Rights Center.
• Consumerreports.org/health: From Consumer Reports, a range of useful information. Scroll to the bottom of the page, and click on "Health-care reform."
• Bankrate.com: From a Web site where borrowers hunt for low mortgage rates and savers look for high-interest CDs, there's a summary with a good focus on costs. Type "reform" into the search box, and click on "What's in it for you."
• Marchofdimes.com: The March of Dimes summarizes key new provisions for women and children. Click on "In the news."
  
• Medicarerights.org: The Medicare Rights Center summarizes key new provisions for seniors; click on the big box that says "learn more about health reform and Medicare."
• Stay tuned -- In the coming weeks, the Department of Health and Human Services plans to launch a Web site on health-care reform including links to health insurance options it deems affordable in each state.
• Later this month, The Post, in partnership with Public Affairs, will be publishing a book on the new legislation, including a consumer guide to its impact. Landmark: The Inside Story of America's New Health-Care Law and What It Means for Us All can be pre-ordered from Amazon.com and other book Web sites.

-- Francesca Lunzer Kritz