The Pennsylvania Insurance Department has unveiled a new websiteaimed at helping Pennsylvanians with questions about their health insurance.
Department spokeswoman Rosanne Placey said the site was born out of questions being asked by callers.
“We were getting considerable calls on health insurance,” Placey said. “And so what we did is we recapped every question that we got from consumers and basically answered via this website.”
Placey said health insurance can be complicated for those looking for coverage, and they want to make the search easier.
She said the website allows them to reach out to more Pennsylvanians.
“Some folks would prefer to place a phone call, others would prefer to go online and have their questions answered, or maybe a combination of the two,” Placey said. “Get some background online (and) any follow up questions come to us directly.”
Placey said the website also helps them segregate health insurance complaints from the others they receive. She said once a complaint is submitted online they begin an investigation and will follow up with the complainant by phone.
Placey said she’s not sure if the federally administered health care exchange, part of the Affordable Health Care Act, can be housed on the site when it begins operation at the end of 2013.
Under the act, a state may choose to administer its own exchange, but Gov. Tom Corbett turned down that option believing the state will be allowedto oversee the program after it is implemented.
Placey said the department will makes updates to their website and include links to the exchange once it takes effect.
