Quiz Can Determine if One-Third of Country's 43 Million are Truly Uninsured or Actually Eligible for Government-Funded Programs

SAN JOSE, Calif., July 18 /PRNewswire/ -- Pointing to a short 5-question eligibility quiz that could help reduce the number of an estimated 43 million uninsured Americans by 37 percent(1), the Foundation for Health Coverage Education (FHCE) offered up its 24-hour U.S. Uninsured Help Line and its website's eligibility quiz as a first step in reducing the number of people who are uninsured in the United States.

Callers anywhere in the country can take the quiz online at http://www.coverageforall.org/ or phone the U.S. Uninsured Help Line and talk with a live counselor to get the answer to an important question: "Am I eligible for public health benefits and, if so, which programs?"

The series of questions is a starting point for the Fresno, California-based call center's staff who then direct the caller to the appropriate state-sponsored program according to various medical conditions and circumstances. These are the diagnostic questions:

Question #1 -- Do any of these circumstances apply to you? -- Had company-sponsored insurance within the last 63 days -- Could be turned down for health insurance because of a health condition -- Lost your insurance due to fraud or failure to pay your monthly premium -- Work at least 20 hours per week as an employee or business owner -- You are uninsured -- You receive SSI or TAA Question #2 -- Which of these describes you? -- American Indian -- Child -- Parent of dependent child living in household (or full- time student in college) -- Senior -- Undocumented Immigrant -- Veteran -- Woman

Question # 3 -- How many people are in your household, and what is your household income?

Family Size: -- 1 -- 2 -- 3 -- 4 Annual Income: -- $0- $25,525 -- $25,526-$34,225 -- $34,226-$42,925 -- $42,926- and above Question # 4 -- How old are you? -- 0 to 18 years -- 19 to 39 years -- 40 to 64 years -- 65 and over Question # 5 -- Do you have any special health conditions? -- Pregnant -- Serious medical conditions or disabilities (physical or mental) -- Chronic illness or genetic disorder -- Cancer, Hyper-alimentation, Kidney Dialysis -- AIDS/HIV

Upon completion of this eligibility quiz, the call center counselors advise callers of their health coverage options and provide information on how to sign-up for coverage. "It's difficult for public agencies to register people for coverage due to lack of communication resources, lengthy applications, literacy issues, and unavailable transportation to social service offices," said Philip Lebherz, founder of the nonprofit FHCE. "Additionally, many people are not aware that in some states, a family of four can have an income of $60,000 a year and still have their children be eligible for comprehensive health insurance coverage. We hope that our free call center will help people overcome these hurdles."

The U.S. Uninsured Help Line was launched two years ago initially to help the estimated 6.7 million uninsured Californians get coverage. With no budget for advertising, getting the word out has been through radio and newspaper public service announcements, articles and word of mouth through the health care, social services and insurance broker communities.

For those with access to the internet, the FHCE web site, http://www.coverageforall.org/, where one can find the Eligibility Tool, provides visitors with a customized profile of all public and private health coverage options in the U.S. for which family members may qualify. The profile also includes a special resource section on locating public or low-cost health benefits, and a quick reference list of phone numbers and websites for all health coverage plans.

According to the most recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 43.6 million people in the U.S. had no health insurance in 2006. "The goal of the call center is to help make all Americans aware of their options and show them how to sign-up. This way, our country's leaders then can work on health care initiatives that help the truly uninsured," said Lebherz.

The organization's "Coverage For All" campaign tools include the following:

-- The free U.S. Uninsured Help Line (1-800-234-1317) provides live, one-on-one assistance and is staffed 24/7 with friendly information specialists and interpreters who speak multiple languages. The specialists provide basic screening for both public and private health coverage, and help callers identify their potential options and connect them to health coverage representatives to sign-up for coverage. -- The Health Care Options Matrix (available for all 50 states), which outlines public and private health coverage options, including type of coverage, eligibility, and monthly costs. The brochure is also useful for front-line workers helping the uninsured find coverage, such as social workers or health care professionals, and can be viewed, downloaded and printed by going to http://www.coverageforall.org/.

The FHCE is a non-profit 501 (c) 3 public organization founded in response to the increasing number of uninsured individuals who are eligible for health coverage but not enrolled. The organization receives grants and donations, including partial funding for the call center from Blue Cross of California Foundation.

(1) FHCE's interpretation of a 2004-2005 State Health Facts report, Kaiser

Foundation Foundation for Health Coverage Education

CONTACT: Marilyn Haese of Haese & Wood Marketing, +1-310-556-961,
+1-310-625-6323, mhaese@haesewood.com, for the Foundation for Health Coverage
Education

Web site: http://www.coverageforall.org/

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