The National Health Council (NHC) recently released an interactive tool to allow people to explore the impact of unexpected events on health care costs and how they could affect insurance choices under the Affordable Care Act's marketplace.
The unexpected events include injuries caused by everything from a car crash to a shark attack, or diagnosis of a chronic condition. The online tool offers information on annual premiums and out-of-pocket costs that could be associated with a specific level of insurance coverage. Each event is based upon a randomized wheel that users may spin. An estimate of required medical care and medications is listed, as well as expected costs under the four levels of insurance coverage offered by the Affordable Care Act -- bronze, silver, gold or platinum.
In addition, the tool offers an out-of-pocket calculator where users may enter in personalized details, including age, state, expected visits to medical care facilities and information on medications, to determine an estimate on annual costs.
The NHC advocates for people who have been diagnosed with chronic illnesses and other disabilities. Members of the organizations include businesses, health and patient advocacy groups, and other organizations within the field of health and wellness.
Both the interactive tool and calculator can be found at PuttingPatientsFirst.net.
