Paying for Health Care

Web Sites

Health Insurance and Health Plans

• Health Plan Ratings
  Published by JD Power and Associates, this global marketing information firm conducts independent and unbiased surveys of customer satisfaction, product quality and buyer behavior. It rates health plans both local and across the country in 8 categories including: approval process, choice of doctors and hospitals, coverage benefits, claims processing, and insurance statements.
• The National Committee for Quality Assurance
  NCQA is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving health care quality. You can find a private health insurance provider or check your current provider with NCQA's interactive Health Plan Report Card database, updated monthly, that includes all companies licensed to sell health insurance in Pennsylvania. Health plans that meet the standards for quality of care and service receive NCQA Accreditation, a nationally recognized as a seal of approval.
• Pennsylvania Insurance Department Health Insurance
  Identifies private health insurers licensed to do business in PA. Also includes the number and type of complaints filed against a company and a comparison of their rates. Toll Free Phone Number: 1-877-881-6388 The Department also administers these insurance programs:
  • adultBasic
    For uninsured Pennsylvanians between the ages of 19 and 64 who have jobs without healthcare benefits, or who are between jobs. Income limitations apply. Toll Free Phone Number: 1-800-GO-BASIC
  • Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP)
    Provides health insurance for children and teens of working families who otherwise could not afford it. Income limitations apply. Toll Free Phone Number: 1-800-986-KIDS
  • PA Fair Care
    PA Fair Care is Pennsylvania’s health plan for uninsured adults with pre-existing conditions. This temporary plan offers transitional insurance coverage until the broader coverage provisions of federal health insurance reform come to fruition in January 2014.

Medicare, Medicaid, Medical Assistance

• Medicare.gov
  This is the official U.S. government site for people with Medicare and the first place to look for answers to any Medicare questions. "The Medicare & You" guide is available here and the site also has links to compare local health plans, medigap policies, nursing homes, home health agencies and hospitals.
• APPRISE
  Apprise is a free health insurance counseling program designed to help Pennsylvanians with Medicare. Counselors are specially trained volunteers who can answer questions about Medicare D and provide objective, easy-to-understand information about health insurance. Toll Free Phone Number: 1-888-222-4200
• Pennsylvania Office of Medical Assistance Programs
  Medical Assistance (MA) also referred to as Medicaid is a joint state/federal program that provides payment for health care services on behalf of eligible low-income individuals with limited income and high medical expenses.

Long Term Care

• LongTermCare.gov
  This National Clearinghouse for Long-Term Care Information from the U. S. Department of Health & Human Services provides information about the cost of long-term care and how to pay for it and includes a detailed overview of both public programs and private insurance.
• Pennsylvania Department of Insurance: Long-Term Care Insurance
  Long term care information includes a directory of approved insurance companies licensed in Pennsylvania that offer long-term care policies. Policy rates are shown for each of the six categories of long-term care policies that a company offers.

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Pittsburgh Resources

• Underinsured or Uninsured: A Guide to the Health Care Resources in Allegheny County
  Updated March 2010, this directory lists clinics and health centers in Allegheny County that serve people without health insurance or who are minimally insured. Also included is information about prescription assistance, transportation, and consumer advocacy resources.
• Be Well Pittsburgh!
  This website compiles information about health resources in the Pittsburgh area in order to improve uninsured Pittsburghers' awareness of and access to health care resources.