State insurance officials – deluged by consumers’ questions about the new health law – are anticipating one of the earliest and most tangible pieces of the health overhaul: a user-friendly Web portal. By July 1, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will establish a Web site that has a section for each state. Consumers and small businesses can use it to compare prices and plans when purchasing health coverage. The federal Web site will list every health plan that is certified by each state, a list of the plans’ network of providers, the services they provide, who is eligible, and how to join.

The portal will include private plans, Medicare, Medicaid, the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) and the new high-risk pools. The portal is considered the first step in what will eventually be the state-based insurance exchanges.

May 18, 2010