New Health Insurance Unit Offers Help to Pennsylvania Consumers

New Brochures, Factsheets also Available Online

HARRISBURG, Pa., Feb. 21, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Pennsylvania Insurance Department has formed a new consumer unit to respond to questions about health insurance. This unit is funded through the federal Affordable Care Act's consumer assistance grant program.

"This grant allows the department to supplement our health insurance complaint-handling functions with a dedicated health insurance assistance unit," said Insurance Commissioner Mike Consedine . "This will also allow us to track and identify complaint trends market-wide and by company."

This health insurance assistance unit, using the current call center referrals and online resources, will:

• Educate consumers with billing and claims problems about their rights and responsibilities with respect to their group or individual health insurance plan;
• Provide information on the internal and external grievance process;
• Assist consumers in making informed enrollment and health plan choices by educating consumers on the various types of options; and
• Distribute factsheets on health insurance options.

The new unit will allow the department to work directly with health plans and healthcare providers to better target areas for improvement.

Consumers are encouraged to call the consumer assistance unit at 1-877-881-6388 or visit www.pahealthoptions.com to access the new materials and view information on other federal grants awarded to the department.

Media contacts: Rosanne Placey or Melissa Fox , 717-787-3289

SOURCE Pennsylvania Department of Insurance

RELATED LINKS
http://www.state.pa.us
http://www.pahealthoptions.com/