Interactive Tools Prep Patients for Open Enrollment

October 30, 2014

By Amanda Conschafter, blog editor

Just weeks shy of open enrollment for the federal health care exchange, a new initiative from PhRMA seeks to educate patients on how to get optimal coverage. The initiative, coined “Access Better Coverage,” offers educational videos, state-specific insurance information, and links to relevant news articles and blog entries about health insurance.

Access Better Coverage educates patients on challenges to achieving coverage through its “Coverage Classroom” video series.   Its “Health Insurance Coverage 101” video explains basics about deductibles, co-payments and co-insurances, while other videos from the series explores the use of step therapy ( or fail first) and prior authorization, which may impede patient access to the medicines their physician prescribes. The video series also explains the concept of specialty tiers and highlights how insurance plans treat medications differently than medical services.

In addition to the video series, Access Better Coverage offers in-depth reports and information on coverage and access by state, as well as a glossary of relevant terms. Patients can also access recent news stories and blog entries on coverage-related topics.

November 15 marks the beginning of open enrollment for 2015 coverage.

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