Health care rights for seniors and others vary from state to state. It's important for you to know the basic health insurance protections that you have if you live in California - which may be different than those you would have if you lived in Nevada or Oregon. 

The web site of the Institute for Health Care Research and Policy can help you know, state by state, what your rights and protections are. Affiliated with Georgetown University, the Institute has developed state-specific versions of A Consumer Guide for Getting and Keeping Health Insurance. At the site, you select the state you're interested in and then either read the Guide online or download it (California's version is 38 pages). The Guide provides you with, among other things, information on your rights and protections under group health plans, COBRA, conversion policies, and Medicaid. 

Also at the site, you will find Consumer Alerts - which often relate to health insurance companies facing regulatory problems - as well as the current issue of the Institute's newsletter. 

Go to www.healthinsuranceinfo.net

February 2003