For those without health plan

WASHINGTON - America's 45 million uninsured have a new tool for finding health coverage.

The National Association of Health Underwriters has rolled out a new Internet site that provides state-by-state information on coverage options for many situations, including job changers, high-risk people unable to obtain traditional insurance and the poor.



"We get consumer inquiries every day," said Janet Trautwein, vice president of government affairs for the Arlington, Va.-based association that created the new Internet site.



The new site (www.-nahu.org/consumer/healthcare) is helpful to a computer-savvy consumer who understands insurance terms.



That's especially the case if it is used in conjunction with other Internet sites, such as www.ehealthinsurance.com, that provide price quotes on individual policies and the consumer health insurance information provided by the Georgetown University Health Policy Institute, www.healthinsuranceinfo.net.



Every three years, an average of 1 in 4 adults loses employer-based health coverage - at least temporarily - due to a job change, an employer's bankruptcy or another life event such as early retirement or a divorce, according to Georgetown's institute.



Unfortunately, the typical uninsured person often does not have home access to a computer or the sophistication to understand the differences among programs, according to health-care professionals who specialize in the uninsured.



Even so, several community health professionals and think tank experts agreed the new Internet site does have some value.



The Georgetown site does a better job explaining medical terminology to consumers than the new offering from the insurance underwriters, according to Linda Blumberg of the Urban Institute, a Washington think tank. "It gives the best information available on insurance regulations," Blumberg said. "The truth is, there are limited options to a lot of people in terms of affordability and what their specific health situation is."



The new Web site also provides a state-by-state list of health programs for the poor, such as Medicaid and the federally subsidized State Children's Health Insurance Program.



"It's a first step, but information alone isn't going to do it," said Joseph Antos, a scholar in health care at the American Enterprise Institute, a Washington think tank. "Most people who are uninsured are uninsured because they don't have the means."



ON THE WEB





National Association of Health Underwriters:

www.nahu.org/consumer/healthcare



eHealthInsurance’s home page:

www.ehealthinsurance.com



Georgetown University Health Policy

Institute Health Insurance Consumer Guides:

www.healthinsuranceinfo.net