Aon Hewit today announced the launch of an interactive and educational website that helps individuals learn about the various public health programs available to them, including state and federal marketplaces (commonly referred to as public health exchanges), Medicare, Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). The solution, Your Coverage Resources, expands Aon Hewitt's current portfolio of health solutions designed to help employers implement new and sustainable benefit strategies that meet the individual needs of employees, retirees and their families.
It is estimated that nearly 30 million U.S. residents who currently lack health insurance will gain coverage under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, including 12 million Americans who will now qualify for the expansion of Medicaid. In addition, due to the availability of federal subsidies, many employers may choose to transition a portion of their employee population to state and federal exchanges. Your Coverage Resources can help these individuals understand their options, model program eligibility—including whether they may qualify for a premium tax credit (or subsidy) in a state exchange—and in some cases, enroll in a health plan. Aon Hewitt's solution also offers call center support and advocacy services that assist consumers with billing disputes and handling claims.
To help individuals enroll in health insurance plans through the public exchanges or the individual retail health insurance market, Aon Hewitt is partnering with eHealth, the nation's leading online marketplace for individual and family health insurance. eHealth's consumer-friendly online shopping experience enables individuals to research, analyze, compare and purchase from a broad selection of health plans online. In some states, this may include qualified health plans available through state and federal health insurance exchanges. To date, eHealth has enrolled more than 3 million people in health insurance coverage.
Through Your Coverage Resources, any Medicare-eligible employees will have access to Aon Hewitt Navigators, one of the industry's most comprehensive Medicare health exchange solutions. Aon Hewitt Navigators offers individuals the ability to shop for coverage across over 80 leading insurance companies nationwide. As part of this service, Medicare-eligible employees also have access to dedicated benefit advisors who provide objective advice to help find the right plan for them. To date, we have helped more than 240,000 people successfully transition to the individual market by providing objective and personalized guidance in finding the right plan for them.
"Enrolling in health benefits can be overwhelming for many individuals, and the introduction of new public health plan options this year, including state and federal health care exchanges, adds a whole new layer of complexity," said Karen Frost, vice president of Health Solutions & Strategies for Aon Hewitt. "Employees are likely to have a lot of questions about the different programs available and for the most part, employers are not equipped or staffed to address employee questions about these programs and the nuances behind the various rules and requirements. Your Coverage Resources is a user-friendly portal that consolidates information about the various individual and public plan options into one site so that consumers can make the best decisions for them and their families."
Aon Hewitt's Your Coverage Resources is the latest in the firm's suite of health solutions that enable employers to determine the best overall strategy, subsidy approach and health promotion programs to drive greater choice, affordability and wellness. These solutions include traditional consulting and administration services and a suite of exchange solutions for both active employees and retirees. During the 2013 annual enrollment period last fall, more than 100,000 U.S. employees successfully enrolled in health benefits through Aon Hewitt's Corporate Health Exchange, the only fully insured, multi-carrier corporate health exchange available to large national employers today.
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