News release: “The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that new information and tools have been added to HHS’ consumer website www.HealthCare.gov that will make the health insurance market more transparent, increase competition and help lower costs for individuals. For the first time ever, price estimates for private insurance policies are available, allowing consumers to easily compare health insurance plans – putting consumers, not their insurance companies, in charge by providing one-stop shopping and taking the guesswork and confusion out of buying insurance. To help consumers make more informed choices, the site includes new information including two notable metrics never before made public:

• Insurance providers are required to provide the percentage of people who applied for insurance and were denied coverage.
• Insurance companies are required to provide the percentage of applicants who were charged higher premiums because of their health status.”