New website includes information on healthcare benchmark initiative to reduce costs, improve outcomes for Delawareans

DOVER, Del. – Governor John Carney and the Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) relaunched ChooseHealthDE.com on Tuesday to include information and resources about healthcare spending in Delaware, strategies to slow its growth and actions to better connect that spending to the health outcomes of Delawareans.

DHSS first launched ChooseHealthDE.com in 2013 as an information resource for people learning about coverage options through Delaware’s new Health Insurance Marketplace. Today, the website is expanding to include information for individuals and families, employers, healthcare providers and legislators about the value of healthcare and how to reduce the growth of spending while better linking payments to health outcomes.

“As I said last week in my State of the State, we are spending too much money on healthcare without getting good enough results. Now is the time to change the way we deliver care in our state,” said Governor Carney. “To help us understand our overall spending, we need transparency on healthcare costs. With ChooseHealthDE.com, we are taking another step in providing more transparency for individuals, families, employers, providers and legislators on how we spend our healthcare dollars and what we can do to change that trajectory.”

On Sept. 7, 2017, the Governor signed legislation authorizing DHSS to consult with stakeholders to establish a healthcare spending benchmark as a way to evaluate the total cost of healthcare in the state. Delaware ranked No. 3 in the nation in per-capita healthcare spending in 2014 – the latest year data is available – according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). The CMS analysis of all insurance payers – Medicare, Medicaid and private – found per-capita spending in Delaware was $10,254, about 27 percent higher than the U.S. average of $8,045. Without changes, the analysis estimates Delaware’s total healthcare spending will more than double from $9.5 billion in 2014 to $21.5 billion in 2025. According to America’s Health Rankings, Delaware ranks No. 30 for overall health.

“In the move to value-based healthcare, the healthcare spending benchmark is a starting point,” said DHSS Secretary Dr. Kara Odom Walker, a board-certified family physician. “Working with hospitals and other healthcare providers, we need to transition to a point where we pay for the optimal health of consumers, rather than for hospital stays, tests and procedures, regardless of outcomes. Our goal of lowering costs while improving the overall health of Delawareans will take participation and input from all of us. ChooseHealthDE.com gives us a common portal from which to continue this work.”

ChooseHealthDE.com is divided into two sections: the Health Insurance Marketplace and the healthcare spending benchmark. In the new healthcare spending benchmark section, the site is divided among four target audiences: individuals and families, employers, healthcare providers and legislators. Each audience segment has strategies for success and a downloadable toolkit. A news and events section will provide details about upcoming events, legislation and reports, and public comment periods. A link to the Delaware Health Care Commission website provides background on previous events and reports associated with the healthcare spending benchmark.

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Two Additional Health Insurance Plans Now Available on the Marketplace

 Commissioner Stewart Announces Federal Renewal of Highmark Multi-State Options

 DOVER, DE–Insurance Commissioner Karen Weldin Stewart is pleased to announce that the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, OPM, has certified two multi-state health plans to be sold on the Delaware Health Insurance Marketplace for Plan Year 2015. OPM advised the Commissioner that contracts have been signed with the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, on behalf of its local plans, to renew two additional health insurance options under the federal Multi-State Plan Program.

The two plans increase the number of plans offered on the 2015 Marketplace to 25, four more than this year’s choices. Multi-state plans may be sold only through the Health Insurance Marketplace and must include the essential health benefits offered on all Marketplace plans. Enrollees in Multi-State Plans are eligible for the same income-based savings as enrollees in other Marketplace plans.

All 25 plans are available until the close of open enrollment, February 15, 2015. If you want coverage to begin on January 1, 2015, you must enroll or re-enroll in a plan by December 15, 2014.  For more information, go to www.choosehealthde.com.

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For more information contact Jerry Grant at 302-674-7303

Dover, DE – Complications within health insurance marketplaces have created challenges for some new enrollees who have not yet received proof of their insurance coverage. As a result, some consumers are unsure if their medical treatments are covered. If you recently purchased a plan, but still haven’t received proof of insurance from your insurance company, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) and the Delaware Department of Insurance have some tips for confirming coverage.

Since open enrollment began on October 1, insurance companies have encountered multiple problems that have prevented the companies from being able to enter new members into their systems. Some companies received incomplete or incorrect information from the insurance marketplaces. Other companies were overwhelmed with the number of applications they received and were unable to process them by the time the new plans went into effect. This delay in providing proof of coverage has many consumers worrying if they really have insurance and wondering what to do next.

Contact the Company
The first thing you should do is contact your insurance company to verify that you do have insurance coverage. Insurance Commissioner Karen Weldin Stewart stated, “The insurance company will be able to verify if you are indeed enrolled in a plan or not. Some people signed up for a plan but never paid the premium so be sure to discuss your payment. And, of course, ask your insurance company for proof of coverage, such as an insurance card or identification numbers. Many insurance companies have a website, which, after setting up your account, will allow you to print a temporary ID card.”

When you speak to your insurance company, take detailed notes of the conversation. Include the date and time that the conversation took place, and the name of the representative. Hold on to copies of any written communication you received from your insurance company such as emails or letters as you may need these materials later. You should also verify that you have paid your first premium on time. Some insurers have permitted late payments for coverage that is retroactively effective to January 1, 2014. Find out your insurer’s deadline and keep any records that can serve as proof of payment.

If you have yet to purchase coverage but are planning on buying insurance through the federal Health Insurance Marketplace, www.healthcare.gov, print out any paperwork or confirmations that you receive during the enrollment process. If you do not have a printer save digital copies of forms or take “screenshots” of any confirmation numbers or account numbers. It never hurts to e-mail those digital forms to yourself so you can access them from anywhere or in case something happens to your computer.

Payment Options
You may need to get a prescription filled or see your doctor before you receive your insurance card. Your provider (hospital, doctor, pharmacy) may be able to verify your coverage by contacting your insurer directly. If verification of coverage cannot be obtained, you still have options. One option is to pay for expenses out of pocket. Once your insurance coverage is established, your insurance company should reimburse you to the extent that the service or medication is covered under your policy. You may also be able to work with your doctor’s office, hospital or pharmacy to delay payment or set up a payment plan until they can verify that you’re insured. Keep your receipts and any bank statements that show that you’ve paid for the services. It can sometimes be easier to track purchases made with a debit or credit card as opposed to cash.

More Information
If you have questions about your health insurance options visit www.delawareinsurance.gov for more info and links. You can also visit Delaware’s Health Insurance Marketplace, www.choosehealthde.com. Individuals have until March 31, 2014 to enroll in a health insurance plan in order to meet the Affordable Care Act’s “individual mandate” without incurring a penalty, or fee, from the IRS. For more info about penalties and subsidies please visit www.healthcare.gov.

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Contact: Marla Blunt-Carter
(302) 577-5259
Marla.Blunt-Carter@delaware.gov

Delaware Department of Insurance: “Protecting Delawareans through regulation and education while providing oversight of the insurance industry to best serve the public.”

Dover, Del.- Delaware libraries throughout the state are offering information sessions and one-on-one enrollment assistance on Delaware’s Health Insurance Marketplace. These presentations have been available for the public since the beginning of November.

Certified Marketplace Guides will give presentations at the libraries for Delaware residents interested in enrolling in low-cost health insurance made possible by the Affordable Care Act.

Four community organizations, Brandywine Women’s Health Associates, Christiana Care, Delmarva Foundation for Medical Care, Inc. and Westside Family Healthcare are under contract to provide one-on-one guidance through certified Marketplace Guides to residents about the new marketplace, which will help give the 90,000 uninsured Delawareans greater access to affordable health care.

There are more than 70 guides throughout Delaware who have been undergoing rigorous state and federal training, a proctored exam, and state and federal background checks to be certified to handle sensitive personal information.

Enrollment in the marketplace opened October 1, 2013, and runs through March 31, 2014.  Insurance coverage begins as early as January 1, 2014, for those who enroll by Dec. 15, 2013.

For more information on Delaware’s Health Insurance Marketplace go to www.ChooseHealthDE.com. For information on the Affordable Care Act, as well as dates, times, and locations of sessions, may be found on the Delaware Libraries ACA guide at http://guides.lib.de.us/ACA

For more information on Delaware Libraries go to www.delawarelibraries.org.

Contact: Beth-Ann Ryan at (302) 257-3002 or beth-ann.ryan@delaware.gov, Delaware Division of Libraries, Deputy Director.