FAIR Health Consumer Access

Winter2023

FAIR Health Reports on the Appetite for Shared Decision-Making Tools among Patients of Color

A new report from FAIR Health shows that patients of color and providers have an appetite for shared decision-making tools. Shared decision making is a discussion among patients, caregivers and healthcare providers. It balances clinical options and patient preferences to make care decisions.

FAIR Health Consumer Website Records Notable Traffic to Shared Decision-Making Resources in 2022

In 2022, consumers showed strong interest in FAIR Health’s shared decision-making tools and related educational content. These were recently added to FAIR Health’s free, award-winning consumer website, fairhealthconsumer.org. FAIR Health also saw a rise in the share of male users of its site. Other insights into consumer website user demographics and search habits can be found in FAIR Health’s infographic of year-end statistics for 2022.

Prevention and Wellness Care for the New Year

With a new year ahead, now is a good time to think about prevention and wellness. Preventive and wellness services can help you to stay healthy and get healthier. Many services are covered for free by most health insurance plans.

Fall2022

New Section for Older Adults Launches on FAIR Health Consumer Website

As people get older, knowing how to use the healthcare system and choose the best care is crucial. With funding in part from The John A. Hartford Foundation, FAIR Health has launched a new section for older adults on our free, award-winning consumer website, fairhealthconsumer.org.

Fall Is Open Enrollment Season

Now that fall is here, it’s a good time to think about health insurance. That’s because fall is open enrollment season—the time of year when you can sign up for a health plan or make changes to the plan you have.

What You Need to Know about Medicare

If you’re 65 or older, figuring out how Medicare works and when to sign up can be challenging. It can be hard to know what kind of coverage you’ll need. There are Part A, Part B, Part D, Medicare Advantage plans (Part C) and Medigap. This article will cover the basics of what you need to know about Medicare.

Summer2022

Health Insurance for Active-Duty Military and Veterans

Are you an active-duty service member or a veteran? If so, there are many health plan choices for you and your family. This article will explain your healthcare choices and the difference between healthcare systems such as the Military Health System and Veterans Affairs. It also points you to resources for veterans.

New Shared Decision-Making Tools on FAIR Health Consumer Website

We often count on our doctors to tell us what care we need. But to get the best care, you and your doctor (and caregiver, if you have one) should make choices together. This process is called “shared decision making.” To help you in that process, FAIR Health has added a new set of shared decision-making tools to its consumer website, fairhealthconsumer.org.

Getting Insured outside Open Enrollment Periods

As pleasant as summer can be, it’s usually not the right season for open enrollment—the period of time when you can enroll in or make changes to a health insurance plan. Open enrollment usually comes in the fall, but there are some special circumstances that let you enroll any time.

Spring2022

Health Insurance in Retirement

Navigating your health insurance options when you retire can seem like a lot to handle. If you’re 65 or older, you can sign up for Medicare. But you also may need to find a supplemental plan to cover your out-of-pocket costs. If you retire before you’re 65, you’ll need to find health insurance to cover you before you’re eligible for Medicare. Whatever age you are when you retire, you have health insurance options.

Healthcare Trends in the First Year of COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic changed healthcare in many ways. A new report from FAIR Health shows some of those ways. These include a great rise in the use of telehealth. Telehealth is healthcare received through electronic devices, like telephones, computers and tablets.

Spring Cleaning for Your Medical Records

If your medical papers have been piling up, springtime is a good time to get them in order. Find out here what to keep and how you might use those records.