New Resource to Help Consumers Navigate Health Care Law - HealthCareandYou.org

Coalition of Consumers, Patients, Health Care Professionals Launches New Website to Educate Consumers in All 50 States

WASHINGTON, March 1, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A coalition of some of the nation's most trusted organizations representing consumers, patients, physicians, nurses, hospitals and pharmacists today launched a new comprehensive online resource – HealthCareandYou.org – to give Americans easy-to-understand information about the health care law so they can make informed health care decisions for themselves and their families.

The Health Care and You Coalition is made up of eight organizations:

• AARP
• American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP)
• American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN)
• American College of Physicians (ACP)
• American Medical Association (AMA)
• American Nurses Association (ANA)
• Catholic Health Association (CHA)
• National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA)  

"This effort is designed to provide simple, straightforward information about the health care law," said Nancy LeaMond, Executive Vice President of AARP. "Some of the most important decisions Americans face center around keeping themselves and their families healthy and secure, so we are pleased to join some of the country's leading consumer and health care organizations in this effort to help Americans of all ages get reliable information they need."

"HealthCareandYou.org is a critical resource for patients to quickly access valuable information about the health care law and how it affects them," said Cecil B. Wilson, M.D., President of the AMA. "Our physician members look forward to working with our coalition partners to make this important information available to Americans."

The website will provide tailored information for users, including what provisions of the Affordable Care Act are in effect now and those scheduled to take place in the future. The content on HealthCareandYou.org will reflect any updates to the law made at the federal or state level.

"Key provisions of the law have the potential to help millions of Americans with cancer or at risk for cancer to access lifesaving care, but first they need to understand what the law means for them," said Christopher W. Hansen, President of ACS CAN. "HealthCareandYou.org is an essential tool that will inform families struggling with cancer about new coverage options, patient protections and no-cost preventive services such as mammograms and colonoscopies."

AAFP President Roland Goertz, M.D., MBA, FAAFP, said that HealthCareandYou.org is another resource for family physicians. "Our patients often look to family physicians for more than just a diagnosis and a prescription," Goertz said. "By teaming up with our colleagues in the coalition, we offer a valuable resource that doctors can share with patients."

Karen Daley, PhD, MPH, RN, FAAN, president of ANA said that HealthCareandYou.org can help patients make informed decisions about their health care. "An informed patient is an empowered one. This new website provides information in a clear, simple format that will help nurses and other health care professionals explain the benefits of the law to their patients."

The website includes up-to-date facts about the law, including a timeline of when provisions take effect, and a state-by-state listing of health coverage options that are available to consumers.

"Everyone deserves access to quality, affordable health care. It is important for patients and families to understand the health care law and how it may affect them," said Sister Carol Keehan, DC, president and CEO of CHA. "HealthCareandYou.org helps explain it, and features stories of Americans who are already benefiting from the law."

The website also features information tailored to consumers of all ages and circumstances, including older Americans, small business owners, and health care professionals.

"Educating consumers is one of the most important things we can do to help bring high-value, cost-conscious health care to Americans," said J. Fred Ralston, Jr., M.D., FACP, President of ACP .  "HealthCareandYou.org can be a trusted resource for our physicians on the front lines of improving America's health care system to share with their patients."

Additional information on the website includes video content and, in the future, a planned chat feature that will allow users to ask members of the Health Care and You Coalition questions about the law.

"As highly accessible providers, community pharmacists across the nation are helping patients navigate changes in the Medicare Part D 'doughnut hole' and other provisions in the new law," said Kathleen Jaeger, CEO of NCPA. "The website will serve as a resource for pharmacists and will help their patients find the information they need."

The Health Care and You Coalition will continuously update HealthCareandYou.org as the law is implemented and changes take effect. The member groups each will be engaging in sustained efforts to make consumers, patients and health care across the country aware of the site. The groups also will continue to educate Americans about the health care law through state-level outreach to their members, presentations at regional and local events and other ongoing activities.

For more information, follow the coalition on Twitter @HCandYou.

SOURCE Health Care and You Coalition