What Is NAHU's Education Foundation?

Since 1992, the foundation has provided a number of important resources, from annual specialty insurance conferences to disaster relief for individuals impacted by September 11. In 1997, we expanded the Foundation structure and vastly increased its resources and projects.

In the beginning, our primary goal was to be sure that consumers understood "the basics" of various kinds of health insurance and related products. We developed guides for individual health insurance, employer-sponsored health insurance, long term care insurance, voluntary products offered in an employer setting, etc. At the same time, we realized that most of the terminology used to describe health insurance coverage might be unfamiliar to the average consumer, so we developed a glossary of terms.

We also realized that numerous people truly did not know where to start looking for health insurance. We always recommend that people begin the process by finding a health insurance agent. We also knew that some of those needing coverage might actually be eligible for other programs such as Medicare, Medicaid, or the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). To assist people by directing them to types of coverage they might be eligible for, we developed a searchable database of private and public health insurance for the entire country.

Recently, we have partnered with the Foundation for Health Coverage Education to enhance the services available to consumers searching for health insurance coverage. The new services include not only a searchable database of public and private coverage, but also a printed version of the information and a 24-hour nationwide toll-free number to assist those looking for coverage.

In addition to our web-based resources, we have created printed materials to help consumers understand the various aspects of health insurance. Our brochures include:

√ Turning 65? What You Need to Know About Medicare - This brochure outlines Medicare benefits and answers questions about Medicare eligibility and costs. Consumers can also find quick facts about Medicare, advice on locating agents specializing in over-65 coverage, and several important dates and deadlines.

√ Consumer Guide to Health Insurance - The Consumer Guide to Health Insurance answers many of the common questions asked by consumers. The brochure addresses topics from "What is health insurance?" and "How does health insurance work?" to more pressing questions like "Do I really need health insurance?" "Why is health insurance expensive" and "What can I do to help reduce costs?"

√ Wellness Programs - The wellness brochure offers facts supporting the notion that health improvement programs in the workplace can benefit both employers and their employees.

To meet the needs of Spanish-speaking individuals, the Foundation also provides Spanish-language materials to explain the need for health insurance.

Our newest project is a series of short videos and printed materials designed to educate consumers about wellness, prevention and the cost of health care services. These materials will be used in a variety of venues from employer settings to frequently accessed media and social networking outlets.

Outreach to consumers is an important part of the NAHU Education Foundation mission. Recent outreach campaigns have targeted seniors who are newly eligible for Medicare and those who have lost health insurance coverage during the economic downturn.

For those who are interested in topics about health insurance and financial policy, the Foundation has sponsored an outstanding series of author interviews through our "Speaking of Books" series. Recordings of the interviews are housed on the foundation website free of charge, along with links to recommended books about health improvement.

Our vision remains focused on developing materials, online or in print, needed to provide consumers with the data and information they need to make educated decisions about buying health insurance coverage, whether the coverage is private or public. To maintain this focus and keep it relevant, we stay in close touch with a variety of consumer organizations, and the public in general. The foundation serves as a direct source of information for everyone concerned about health care, health insurance, and options for consumers.

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NAHU Education Foundation · 1212 New York Avenue NW, Suite 1100 · Washington, DC 20005
202.552.5060 · fax 202.747.6820 · nahuef@nahu.org