Your Health, In Your Hands
Most people would like to be well-informed health consumers, but finding credible, reliable, freely accessible health information on the Web is an ongoing challenge. This Web Guide helps you locate online medical dictionaries and encyclopedias, health-specific search engines, thorough overviews of illnesses, injuries, diseases, and conditions, and advice on seeking professional medical help. For a Spanish-language version of the Guide, click here.
Expand All Guide SectionsEvaluating Online Health Information
The Internet can be a great place to find health information, but because health is a serious topic ... read more »
Top Health Web Sites
The Web is host to a substantial number of reliable, comprehensive health sites. If you know what ... read more »
Health Insurance Options
Anyone not covered by an employer's insurance policy appreciates what a luxury health care can be. No one enjoys jargon-laden health insurance conversations, and it's extremely frustrating to feel like you're reading a foreign language when researching your health insurance options. In this section we'll lay out your options as clearly as possible and direct you to sites that effectively describe your insurance choices.
Dulcinea's Insight
- A good place to start is at the Webby Award-winning health insurance site eHealthInsurance.com. The site’s "Help Center" has an extensive list of frequently asked questions (and there are no shortage when the subject is health insurance), accompanied by helpful, authoritative answers. It covers the basics of individual and family insurance, small business health insurance, short-term health insurance, student health insurance, life insurance, dental insurance, and health savings accounts.
- If you're unemployed or uninsured, you have a variety of options for obtaining healthcare coverage. Here are a few concepts and suggestions to get familiar with before digging into "Dulcinea’s Picks."
- The most basic option for the unemployed is to explore different types of individual or family health insurance. Learn what different plans are available, how they work, and what they'll cost. Most introductory questions are answered in the eHealthInsurance.com site mentioned above.
- Medicaid is a federal program that provides medical care and health services to certain low-income individuals. If you're over the age of 65, pregnant, or disabled, you may be covered by Medicaid.
- Insurance laws and policies, including COBRA and Medicaid coverage, differ between states. After familiarizing yourself with the basics of insurance, consult a state-specific insurance guide. These can be found at Healthinsuranceinfo.net. For additional questions or clarification on any issues, speak with a state insurance agent. Use this directory to find the official home of your state's department of insurance. Once there, use the resources on the site, if they suffice, or use the contact information provided to get in touch with someone who can be of more help.
- If you're not covered by COBRA, Medicaid, or any other special program, and you're strapped financially, you might want to consider purchasing a High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP). An HDHP, sometimes referred to as "catastrophic" health insurance, will protect the insured against costs associated with extreme illness or injury, but won't cover minor doctor visits or expenses, due to the high deductible. Read this article from Insurance.com to learn about the Pros and Cons of "catastrophic" health insurance.
- Another cost-effective option to consider is opening a Health Savings Account (HSA). HSAs function similarly to IRAs in that the money directed into them is nontaxable and is earmarked for a specific purpose—in this case, paying for health insurance. Of course there is flexibility, and should you need the cash, it can be withdrawn from the account (under the condition that it then becomes taxable).
- This post on HealthInsuranceLowDown.com offers 18 tips on how to lower your insurance premium.
- For information on how to obtain free or discounted prescription drugs, see the “Learning About Medicines” section of this guide.
- The following sites used in conjunction with one another, will provide you with all the information you need to understand how health insurance works and how you can make it work for you.
Dulcinea's Picks
For general information ...
HealthDecisions
is one of the Web's premier portals for health insurance information. Users not familiar with how insurance works, or what their options are, should start by visiting the "Learning Center." It's here that you'll find definitions to acronyms like HMO, PPO, HSA, and HDHP, a beginner’s guide to insurance, and a useful FAQ section. The "Insurance Locater" can help you find insurance in your area.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Agency for Healthcare Research
and Quality has a great consumer guide to health insurance. Not only does it compare what the different plans offer, it gives you lists of questions to ask so that you can make the definitive decision yourself.
HealthInsuranceInfo.net
has "Consumer Guides to Getting and Keeping Health Insurance," written by the Georgetown University Health Policy Institute, for every state and the District of Columbia. These 30+ page guides summarize your protection options under group plans, when buying individual health insurance, as a small employer or self-employed person, or as someone needing financial assistance.
HealthCareCoach.org
is a site operated by the National Health Law Program (NHeLP), a nonprofit healthcare consumer information and advocacy group. This site is filled with articles containing information to help consumers negotiate the healthcare system. In the "Your Insurance" section you'll find a host of articles on what insurance is, getting it, using it, and keeping it. Articles cover many specific insurance scenarios, so give this site a thorough look.
The U.S. Department of Labor
has loads of insurance information, covering topics like COBRA and Medicaid, as well as laws like the Mental Health Parity Act, the Women's Health and Cancer Rights Act, and the Newborns' and Mothers' Health Protection Act. The site also provides a list of links to USDL-verified health care Web sites.
For a low-income clinic near you …
The Bureau of Primary Health Care (BPHC)
has a directory to help visitors locate free medical clinics in their area. Choose the state you're looking for, pick a county, and the BPHC will produce a list of clinics with descriptions of the services they offer, along with contact information. These clinics will provide medical care regardless of whether you have money or health insurance.
For a hospital …
Hospital Compare
is a site operated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that allows you to compare the quality of care at local hospitals.
For insurance statistics …
The U.S. Census Bureau
has information from their Current Population Survey (CPS) and Annual Social and Economic Supplement (ASEC) to provide an overview on the insured and uninsured.
Find a Local Doctor or Dentist
It's important to have a good relationship with your doctor, and it's doubly important to select ... read more »
Talking to Your Doctor About Your Health
Although it's easy to think of interactions with your doctor as more akin to lectures than ... read more »
Learning About Medicines
All medication, whether prescribed by your doctor or received over the counter, is accompanied by ... read more »
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