(TRENTON) – Legislation sponsored by Assembly
Democrats Herb Conaway, Jr. M.D. and Celeste
Riley to create a public awareness campaign to inform the
public about the health insurance exchange established under the landmark
federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act advanced on Thursday with the
approval by the Senate Commerce Committee.
The bill
(A-3878) would require the Department of Banking and Insurance (DOBI) to
establish and lead a coordinated statewide public awareness campaign about the
health insurance exchange for the general public.
Conaway
noted that the insurance exchange is designed to promote choice and value by
allowing an individual or small business to compare the costs and benefits of
various health plans and options, while being part of a large insurance pool,
which helps lower rates.
“There’s
no question that the establishment and implementation of a health insurance
exchange is going to be a complex process,” said Conaway (D-Burlington), who
chairs the Assembly Health and Senior Services Committee. “But hopefully this
awareness campaign will help make dense subject matter far more accessible and
understandable to the general public.”
“Anyone
who already has the benefit of having health insurance understands how
complicated it can be to sift through the technical language and fine print,”
said Riley (D-Cumberland/Gloucester/Salem). “The more people know about the
health insurance exchange, the better positioned they will be to make educated
decisions about the best health coverage for them.”
The
public awareness campaign would require DOBI to: develop a strategy for
publicizing the services, eligibility requirements, and enrollment procedures of
the insurance exchange; post easily accessible information on its website about
the exchange and links to other relevant sources of information and assistance;
prepare informational materials and disseminate these materials at public venues
throughout the state, as well as in collaboration with other state, county, and
municipal government entities.
The bill
awaits further consideration by the full Senate.
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