One of the problems we have as Americans is that the playing field has been tilted too far in favor of the larger corporations. They are the “people” (see Mitt Romney) with the money and influence to get laws made or unmade. Their attorneys always stand a better chance of getting judgments from courts when it comes to consumer matters. As individuals, we don’t stand much of a chance against them. One of the real problems we face is finding out exactly what these corporations are selling. Although there’s supposed to be truth in advertising, the practical reality is rather different. Marketing is always about how to use many words to sound really good about services or products without actually guaranteeing quality. In the case of insurance, it means using often confusing legal terminology to hide some of the problems consumers are likely to face if they should ever feel the need to make a claim.

Come September 2012, this is due to change a little thanks to the Affordable Care Act – that’s the Obamacare law the GOP love to hate and we consumers should be learning to love. Look at any website or blog that talks about health insurance and you will always see the advice to shop around. Compare and contrast are the key words. Except the language the insurers use makes this quite difficult. New regulations published by the Department of Health and Human Services will require corporations selling health cover to describe their plans in language we can all understand. There must be clear summary statements about what each plan does and does not cover, what exceptions or limitations will apply when it comes to getting treatment, and more precisely how much it will cost. Not surprisingly, the insurers are distressed because this will mean rewriting all their marketing material so that ordinary people can compare one plan with another. Announcing these new rules, Kathleen Sebelius hoped we consumers would see an immediate benefit. Well, hope springs eternal and the marketing people are no doubt working away to craft new words that will say as little as possible.

To make it easier to enforce the rules, each insurer must produce a Summary of Benefits and Coverage (SBC) for each plan. This must be backed up by a glossary of definitions so that all the complicated words the insurers like to use are explained. This must be easily understood by everyone including those who do not have English as their first language. So when you are thinking about buying or coming up to renewal, you must be given an SBC as a standardized comparison tool. Think when you go into a store to shop for food, there are standard labels on the packaging giving you Nutrition Facts. The same will apply to health plans with the insurer required to give you details of the treatment options for basic situations, e.g. managing a chronic condition like diabetes, having a baby, and so on. So, as from September, it should be easier to shop around for an individual health insurance plan. If you receive old material that’s hard to understand, complain to your local Insurance Commissioner. If we all stand together, we will get better information with our health insurance quotes and renewal notices.