HHS Proposes Regulations to Provide Clearer Health Insurance Information for Consumers–It is Possible with all the Algorithms Used by Carriers?

I just wonder how this will work as we have so many legal clauses today that have to be met and algorithms are used for profits too with insurers setting parameters to be met based on a risk assessment, so with those in mind, and they can be complicated too, is this a reality of having clearer health insurance information available that is both legal and useful? I think the algorithms for computations drive this and those would have to be adjusted to concur, otherwise we have legal battles over the working with information left out, right?

I do agree the side by side comparisons, such as those used on the HHS site do make it easier but again with dealing with all the complicated parameters of insurers today that reflect immediately back to a “profit” operating business model can both a simpler format of a policy and covering every detail be possible? How about the coding that shows what something will cost, that’s not simple at all. As best I can figure there will have to be some type of a click and go fill in form to calculate all the variations and that’s not simple and we are back to more time and efforts to calculate all of it. When contracts are changed, this throws a whole monkey wrench in a lot of areas too with drugs covered added in. I like the idea here but don’t think in today’s complex world that it may fly although we might see a lot of improvements though, but it won’t be a cake walk. BD

WASHINGTON — Proposed regulations released Wednesday would require health insurers to provide clear, concise and consistent cost information about individuals' policies in easy-to-understand language.

"It's providing better information upfront," says Sandy Praeger, Kansas insurance commissioner. "This will be really important when the exchanges come out if you want to make side-by-side comparisons."

The regulations would require insurance companies to present information in a standardized format. One section answers questions — for example, "What is the premium?" or "What is the deductible?" — with the price and an explanation of the term.

Insurers haven't complained, Praeger says, because they knew the changes were coming.

"They just need to have enough advanced warning, which I think they will; they're making changes to forms all the time," she says.

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