Insure More Virginians.org

Resources for Individuals and Families

The following resources may be of assistance to you if are looking for affordable health care for yourself or for members of your family. Some files require Adobe Acrobat Reader 5.0 or better.

Categories

SPG Region 1 - Northwestern Virginia

SPG Region 2 - Northern Virginia

SPG Region 3 - Southwestern Virginia

SPG Region 4 - Central Virginia

SPG Region 5 - Eastern Virginia

Statewide

  • Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (BCCEDP)
    Serves uninsured/underinsured women 40-64 years of age. The program offers free mammograms, Paptests, clinical breast exams and pelvic exams to women.
    http://www.vahealth.org/breastcancer/index.htm
  • Bureau of Insurance
    Information and access to a number of publications available to assist consumers with health insurance and managed care products in Virginia.
    http://www.state.va.us/scc/division/boi/
    • Virginia Health Insurance Guide for Consumers
      This guide provides general information about traditional health insurance and managed care health insurance plans. This guide does not address Medicare Supplement (Medigap) Insurance or Long-Term Care Insurance, because the State Corporation Commission’s Bureau of Insurance has guides and other information available specifically about those types of coverage.
      http://www.scc.virginia.gov/division/boi/webpages/inspagedocs/healthinsguide.pdf
  • FAMIS
    Information on Virginia’s health insurance program for children, including updated enrollment information.
    http://www.famis.org
  • Health Insurance Options: A Consumer's Guide
    Covers the basics on--indemnity plans, comprehensive coverage, HMO and PPO plans, POS features, and long-term care insurance. Contains a worksheet with a checklist of benefits to help the consumer record and compare the benefits of as many as three plans or options that are being considered.
    http://www.vhi.org/info_hio.asp
  • Rx Partnership…Free Medicine for Virginia’s Uninsured
    2924 Emerywood Parkway
    Suite 300
    Richmond VA 23294
    Phone: 377-1057 or /(toll free)/ 1-866-262-5510
    Fax: 366-1056 or /(toll free)/ 1-866-263-3942
    http://www.rxpartnership.org/

  • Smiles For Children - Improving Dental Care Across Virginia
    Dental services for children enrolled in FAMIS or FAMIS Plus are provided through the new Smiles For Children program. The Smiles For Children program encourages good dental health and recommends regular check-ups with your dental provider.
    http://www.famis.org/smiles.cfm?lang=English

  • Virginia Association of Free Clinics
    Information about a network of 49 Free Clinics throughout Virginia, one of Virginia's largest providers of health care to the uninsured.
    http://www.vafreeclinics.org/
  • Virginia Association of Health Plans
    Information about managed care health insurance plans in Virginia.
    http://www.vahp.org/
  • Virginia Department of Health
    Information about Virginia's public health system, which includes a network of 119 local health departments throughout every city and county in Virginia.
    http://www.vdh.virginia.gov

National

  • Access to Benefits Coalition
    The Access to Benefits Coalition™ (ABC) is dedicated to ensuring that Medicare beneficiaries with lower incomes know about and can make the best use of all available resources for reducing the costs of prescription drugs, including the Medicare-approved drug discount card program and the Medicare prescription drug benefit.
    http://www.accesstobenefits.org/

  • America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) Consumer Guide to Health Insurance
    This consumer guide was put together by AHIP whose membership consists of health insurance companies. The guide covers topics such as "Making Sense of Health Insurance", "Managed Care", "Self-Insured Plans", "Pre-existing Conditions", and more.
    http://www.ahip.org/content/default.aspx?bc=41|329|351

  • Choosing a Medigap Policy: A Guide to Health Insurance for People with Medicare
    This guide can help you learn what a Medigap policy is, decide if you want to buy a Medigap policy, understand when you can buy a Medigap policy, choose the Medigap policy that best meets your needs, and know where to go if you have questions.
    http://www.medicare.gov/Publications/Pubs/pdf/02110.pdf

  • A Consumer Guide to Handling Disputes with Your Employer or Private Health Plan, 2005 Update
    Includes information about how consumers can take advantage of their health plans' internal processes to resolve disputes, as well as external review processes as allowed under state laws. The guide also provides tips for avoiding some common mistakes that may prevent consumers from properly filing and successfully resolving disputes through external appeals.
    http://www.kff.org/consumerguide

  • Covering Kids & Families
    Resources for families, event planners, researchers, and policy analysts looking for information concerning low-cost and free health care coverage.             http://www.coveringkidsandfamilies.org

  • ERISA: What is it and How Does It Affect You
    A primer on the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) and how it relates to group health and disability plans such as Long Term and Short Term Disability.
    http://www.patientadvocate.org/pdf/pubs/GU-ERISA.pdf

  • Federal Poverty Level Guidelines for 2006
    http://insuremorevirginians.org/pdf/2006FPLchart.pdf

  • Healthcare Coverage Options Database
    The Database contains information about private health insurance coverage, as well as the many public and private programs available to Americans to help them obtain the medical care they need. Policymakers, the media and other interested parties can also use the Database as a means of comparing health care coverage options for Americans on a state-by-state basis. Designed by the National Association of Health Underwriters.
    http://www.nahu.org/consumer/healthcare/

  • Helping Patients.org
    This is a Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA)
    website that helps uninsured individuals locate patient assistance programs
    for acquiring needed medications.
    http://www.helpingpatients.org/index.cfm

  • HSADecisions.org: Health Savings Account Official Web Portal
    Helps to educate consumers on Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) by offering a "one stop shop" for consumer friendly information on HSAs and on the lower-premium, high deductible insurance plans required in conjunction with them. Also provides a source for consumers to identify companies offering HSA-related products in their state. On this website, there is an online Learning Center cosponsored with the U.S. Small Business Administration that contains educational materials and features an online library and glossary to help consumers and small businesses better understand available HSA options.
    http://www.hsadecisions.org/default.asp

  • Interpreting Your Explanation of Benefits
    After you've visited a doctor, clinic, or hospital, an Explanation of Benefits from the insurance administrator tells you and your provider what portion of the provider's charges are eligible for benefits under your insurance plan.
    http://www.patientadvocate.org/pdf/pubs/GU-EOB.pdf

  • Keeping Medicare and Medicaid When You Work for Individuals with Disabilities
    This guide helps to explain the program rules for Medicare and Medicaid with regard to work. Also, it explains many of the complex issues and policies that can be used to help people with disabilities to keep their health coverage and seek employment.
    http://www.kff.org/medicare/loader.cfm?url=/commonspot/security/getfile.cfm&PageID=50943

  • Medicare at a Glance Fact Sheet
    A basic overview of the Medicare program, including how it is financed, who is eligible, and what benefits are covered under the program.
    http://www.kff.org/medicare/1066-08.cfm

  • The Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Fact Sheet
    A description of the new prescription drug benefit added to Medicare by the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003.
    http://www.kff.org/medicare/7044-02.cfm

  • Navigating Medicare and Medicaid for Individuals with Disabilities
    This guide explains the critical role Medicare and Medicaid have come to play in the lives and the futures of roughly 20 million children, adults, and seniors with disabilities — and gives people with disabilities new information to help them navigate these complex and confusing programs.
    http://www.kff.org/medicare/loader.cfm?url=/commonspot/security/getfile.cfm&PageID=50946(pdf)

  • Plan for Your Health
    Covering Career, Marriage, Family, Living Single , and Retirement, this site p rovides information to help make health benefits and financial choices that meet your needs now and in the future.
    http://www.planforyourhealth.com/

  • Social Security Disability vs. Supplemental Security Income and Subsequent Entitlements
    This brochure helps explain the differences between Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income.
    http://www.patientadvocate.org/pdf/pubs/GU-SSDIvsSSI.pdf

  • State-by-State Financial Resource Guide
    Information for patients seeking financial relief for a broad range of needs including housing, utilities, food, transportation to medical treatment, and children's resources.
    http://www.patientadvocate.org/report.php

  • The Managed Care Answer Guide
    Includes sections on understanding managed care terminology, a consumer
    guide to selecting an insurance plan, and understanding the provisions of your plan.
    http://www.patientadvocate.org/pdf/pubs/mc_answer-guide.pdf (pdf)

  • Together Rx Access
    With the quick start savings card from Together Rx Access, individuals who lack prescription drug coverage and are not eligible for Medicare don't have to wait to start saving on the medicines they need.  Individuals and families can determine if they qualify for the quick start savings card by calling 800-250-2839. 
    http://www.togetherrxaccess.com/site.html

  • Patient Advocate Foundation Patient Assistance Program
    Provides financial assistance to patients who meet certain qualifications to help them pay for the prescriptions and/or treatments they need. This assistance lets patients who have chronic, life threatening and/or debilitating illnesses afford the out-of-pocket costs for these items that their insurance companies require.
    http://pap.patientadvocate.org/

  • Pfizer Helpful Answers
    Comprehensive savings program through Pfizer for people without
    comprehensive prescription drug coverage.
    http://www.pfizerhelpfulanswers.com/

  • RxHope
    Apply for patient assistance with pharmaceutical costs. Also has an assistance finder that matches patient information against other available federal, state and charitable prescription drug programs.
    http://www.rxhope.com/home.asp

  • RxOutreach
    This patient assistance program provides qualified low-income individuals and families access to generic versions of brand name medications.
    http://www.rxassist.org/default.cfm

  • A Shopper's Guide to Long-Term Care Insurance
    This guide will help the reader understand long-term care and the insurance options that can help pay for long-term care services.
    http://ltcfeds.com/about/resource_library/documents/NAIC_Shoppers_Guide.pdf

  • Usual, Customary & Reasonable Charges Defined
    Usual, Customary and Reasonable Charges (UCR) are a predetermined set of fees made by a managed care plan for a specific health care product of service in the locale where the plan operates.
    http://www.patientadvocate.org/pdf/pubs/GU-UCR.pdf

If you would like to submit names and links to other resources for families and individuals within the State, please e-mail us at InsureMoreVirginians@vdh.virginia.gov.

Last Updated: November 14, 2006