Hartford managed health care provider Aetna Inc. says it has devised an online education tool for consumers who lack knowledge about individual health insurance plans.
Aetna said its survey earlier this year found that two-thirds of consumers never heard of individual plans or didn’t know much about them.
“More people are looking at individual health insurance options, whether it is because they don’t have coverage through their employer, are retiring early and are not yet eligible for Medicare, or are looking for coverage after a layoff,” said Ann Bryan, head of Aetna’s AARP Essential Premier Health Insurance program
In conjunction with the American Association of Retired Persons, Aetna said it created a free 15-minute animated tutorial with information on what consumers should look for when buying individual health coverage.
The guide includes tips on plan features, such as the coverage for preventive care, doctor’s visits, prescription medication and more. It also describes the different parts of a plan that factor into the total cost, such as premiums, deductibles, co-pays and coinsurance, and maximum out-of-pocket payments.
The online guide also allows consumers to share the information via online social networks, such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.
