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Health Insurance: Additional ResourcesThe resources listed below provide more detailed information and support services to help you with health insurance. Please read the Detailed Information and Suggestions document for more information and questions to ask. Click a resource for more information:
The National Association of Health Underwriters is an organization that provides consumers with information on how to assess, review and obtain health insurance coverage that will meet your needs. On their Web site you can review a glossary of terms, search for an insurance agent and use their state based database to review health insurance coverage options available in your state.
National Committee for Quality Assurance
The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) is a private, independent non-profit organization dedicated to improving health care quality. NCQA is a leading developer of health care evaluation tools, including health plan accreditation, physician recognition and organization certification. NCQA provides understandable health care quality information in order to help consumers, employers and others make more informed health choices.
Health Insurance Resource Center
The Health Insurance Resource Center (HIRC) can help if insurers tell you that you are "not medically insurable." The HIRC will help you learn about and identify whether your state has sponsored a "risk pool" to provide health insurance coverage for people to whom private insurance companies will not sell individual policies. HIRC will also provide tips on purchasing insurance as well as advice on how to reduce health care costs.
Health Resources Services Administration The Health Resources and Services Administration is a service of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Through this site, you can find community health centers that provide health care services regardless of a patient's ability to pay, and hospitals, nursing homes and other facilities that provide free or reduced cost care under the Hill-Burton Program. Links are provided to sites that offer information about Medicare, Medicaid, State Children's Health Insurance and other government programs.
LIVESTRONG SurvivorCare Program
LIVESTRONG SurvivorCare offers assistance to all cancer survivors, including the person diagnosed, caregivers, family and friends. The program provides education, information about treatment options and new treatments in development, counseling services and assistance with financial, employment or insurance issues. To provide these services, LIVESTRONG SurvivorCare has partnered with several organizations, including CancerCare, Patient Advocate Foundation and EmergingMed. The LIVESTRONG Survivorship Notebook is a tool that can help you organize and guide your cancer experience. The portable, three-ring binder contains a variety of information covering a full range of physical, emotional and practical survivorship topics. You may order a free LIVESTRONG Survivorship Notebook at www.livestrong.org/notebook. Shipping and handling charges will apply.
Cancer Legal Resource Center (CLRC)
The Cancer Legal Resource Center (CLRC) provides information and resources on cancer-related legal issues to survivors, their families, friends, employers, health care professionals, and others coping with cancer. The CLRC offers information on a broad range of cancer-related legal issues, including health insurance, employment, government benefits, estate planning, advanced health care directives, family law and consumer assistance. Through a national toll-free Telephone Assistance Line (866-THE-CLRC), callers can receive information about relevant laws and resources for their particular situation. The CLRC volunteer panel of attorneys and other professionals provide more in-depth information and counsel to CLRC callers. All CLRC services are free and confidential. Services are available in both English and Spanish.  Return to top
National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship (NCCS)
The NCCS Web site provides comprehensive information on a wide range of cancer topics, including managing the side effects of cancer treatment, controlling pain, understanding clinical trials, maintaining good nutrition and exercise habits, getting the most out of your health insurance coverage and addressing employment issues. In addition, you can browse the Resource Guide for resources grouped by cancer type, by topic and by service. NCCS also offers the Cancer Survival Toolbox®, a free audio program created to help people develop important skills to better meet and understand the challenges of their illness. The Toolbox offers information on communicating, decision making, problem solving, finding information, negotiating, and standing up for your rights for those living with, through, and beyond cancer. NCCS also offers a variety of publications that can be ordered free of charge. Information on the NCCS Web site is available in Spanish, and the Cancer Survival Toolbox is available in both Spanish and Chinese. Return to top
America's Health Insurance Plans
America's Health Insurance Plans is a national association representing nearly 1,300 member companies providing health insurance coverage to more than 200 million Americans. Their consumer information section includes guides on health insurance and managed care as well as links to health insurance providers. Because AHIP is a trade association, the other links on the Web site do not necessarily provide consumer-related information. MIB Group, Inc.
MIB Group is a not-for-profit membership corporation that collects and shares underwriting information among its 450 member life insurance companies. If you have applied for an individual insurance policy within the last 7 years and the insurance company reviewed your medical history and records, then some of that information may be available to other life insurance companies through MIB. You can contact MIB to find out what information about your medical records, if any, is available to life insurance companies, and you can correct information that is not accurate. Consumers are entitled to one free report from MIB each year. You must request this report by phone. The Web site provides more information about what records MIB has and how those records are used by insurance companies.
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