How Health Reform Helps Communities of Color

The historic health reform law moves our nation toward a health care system that covers many more people, reforms the insurance industry, improves the quality of care, and curbs rising costs. The benefits and protections in the new law also lay a critical foundation for eliminating racial and ethnic health disparities and promoting health equity.

Communities of color stand to gain from the new health care law—both from those provisions that will affect all communities but have a disproportionate impact on communities of color and from those that are designed specifically to eliminate health disparities. We have selected a number of states to show how provisions in the new law will benefit their communities of color.

These fact sheets are being released September 15 through October 25, 2010.

Alabama Louisiana Ohio
Arkansas Maryland Oregon
California Michigan Pennsylvania
Colorado Minnesota Rhode Island
District of Columbia Mississippi South Carolina
Florida Missouri Tennessee
Georgia Nevada Texas
Hawaii New Hampshire Utah
Illinois New Jersey Virginia
Indiana New Mexico Washington
Iowa North Carolina Wisconsin
Kansas

Scam Insurance Plans

Scam insurance plans often take advantage of consumers during economic downturns. Lately, so-called “associations” have been marketing phony health insurance plans. Before you buy insurance, make sure it is licensed in your state. To check on a policy, contact your state insurance department. You can find the phone number online on the website of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. Just run your mouse over your state and a box will show you the name and contact information for your state’s commissioner. Also, check out healthcare.gov to learn about your insurance options.

For more information about scam health insurance plans, see the resources listed below:

Note: If you bought a policy through American Trade Association, Smart Data Solutions, or Serve America Assurance and you have outstanding claims, you should contact your own insurance department and also contact the liquidator. Although the deadline for filing timely claims with the liquidator has passed, you can still file a late claim (however, late filers are less likely to get their claims paid than timely claimants).

 

Timeline of State Actions against
American Trade Association, Smart Data Solutions, and Serve America Assurance

 

Date State Action Order No.
5/16/2008 North Carolina Emergency Cease and Desist D-1417
11/28/2008 North Carolina Final Cease and Desist 1417
2/20/2009 North Carolina Final Agency Decision and Order 1417
6/5/2009 New Jersey Consent Order E09-31
7/23/2009 Ohio Cease and Desist 13108
8/27/2009 Indiana Emergency Cease and Desist 7543-AG08-1031-272
8/27/2009 Connecticut Consumer Warning
8/27/2009 Connecticut Cease and Desist CA-09-72
11/9/2009 Oklahoma Emergency Cease and Desist 09-1544-UNI
12/14/2009 Michigan Cease and Desist 09-7339
12/17/2009 Arkansas Consumer Alert
1/7/2010 Washington Cease and Desist 10-0001
1/8/2010 Oklahoma Notice of Violation of Cease and Desist 09-1544-UNI
1/28/2010 Arkansas Emergency Cease and Desist 2010-013A
2/1/2010 Missouri Order to Show Cause 10-0115057C
2/8/2010 Kansas Final Cease and Desist 3966-SO
2/9/2010 Illinois Cease and Desist 10-HR-0153
2/19/2010 Florida Cease and Desist 106845-09
2/25/2010 Tennessee Emergency Cease and Desist 12.04-106577J
3/10/2010 New Mexico Consumer Alert
4/9/2010 Maine Emergency Cease and Desist INS-10-207
4/15/2010 New Hampshire Cease and Desist INS. No. 10-026-EP
4/15/2010 Texas Emergency Cease and Desist 10-0301
4/27/2010 Mississippi Cease and Desist Notice issued by MID
5/3/2010 Nebraska Cease and Desist I-82
5/7/2010 Montana Temporary Cease and Desist INS-2010-01
5/11/2010 South Carolina Emergency Cease and Desist 06-0795
5/14/2010 Maine Final Cease and Desist INS-10-207
5/20/2010 Tennessee Final Order of Liquidation 12.04-106577J
5/25/2010 Maryland Cease and Desist Order MIA-2010-05-38
6/7/2010 Louisiana Cease and Desist
6/24/2010 Florida Final Cease and Desist 106845-09
2010 Massachusetts Consumer Alert
2010 Delaware Cease and Desist 1344-2010
7/20/2010 Oregon Cease and Desist INS 10-06-005
7/20/2010 North Carolina Emergency Cease and Desist 1548
8/9/2010 New Hampshire Final Cease and Desist 106845-09
9/21/2010 Missouri News Release, companies guilty, fined 10-0115057C