White House Launches HealthCare.gov Website to Help People Buy Health Insurance
The White House today announced the launch of HealthCare.gov, which the administration calls a "one-stop shopping" place for health insurance.
In a White House blog post, Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius said the site "provides unprecedented transparency into the health care marketplace."
The website is designed to help people sort though both public and private health insurance options by asking them a few basic questions in a multiple choice format. The White House says the site offers consumers "billions" of choices from data for more than 1,000 insurance carriers. By the fall, the site should offer price estimates for specific plans.
The site has other features like a timeline showing when provisions of Mr. Obama's health care reforms will be enacted, as well as information about consumer rights.
Recent polls suggest public opinion on the president's health care reforms is improving slightly, but resistance to the changes is not slowing down.
Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli today becomes the first person to argue in federal court that the health care reforms are unconstitutional. Virginia is one of dozens of states challenging the reform package in court.
Meanwhile, at least 66 House Republicans, including House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) and Republican whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.), have signed onto a repeal effort led by Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa).
