Connecticut Consumer Healthcare Mobile App Now Available

November 01, 2016

In keeping with our mission to make reliable information about healthcare costs available to as many stakeholders as possible, FAIR Health has launched a free mobile app to help improve health insurance literacy, promote transparency in medical and dental costs and increase healthcare engagement among Connecticut residents.

Funded by a grant from the Connecticut Health Foundation (CT Health), the FH® Cost Lookup CT mobile app becomes available at a time when changes to the Connecticut health system increasingly require consumers to make complex decisions based on costs associated with their medical and dental care. Those changes include the expansion of coverage through Access Health CT, the state’s health insurance exchange; the proliferation of health plans with increased member cost-sharing requirements and narrow networks; and the overall drive toward value in healthcare.

Available in both English and Spanish, the app enables both insured and uninsured consumers to estimate the regionally specific costs of medical and dental procedures received in Connecticut, as well as in neighboring states (New York, Massachusetts and Rhode Island). The app also provides educational articles that explain the fundamentals of health coverage, as well as healthcare issues specific to Connecticut. In addition, the app directs users to community resources for healthcare, transportation assistance and other services. These educational materials will be especially helpful for those at lower levels of health insurance literacy, including the newly insured or uninsured. Hispanic consumers will benefit, as well, by accessing these tools and resources in Spanish. The app can be downloaded from the iTunes App Store or from Google Play.

In addition to FH Cost Lookup CT’s development, the grant-funded program includes disseminating the app and promoting its use through collaborations with community-based organizations, community health centers and health exchange navigators.

FAIR Health President Robin Gelburd stated, “Research shows that most consumers lack the understanding of health insurance required to make informed healthcare decisions. FAIR Health is proud to offer a free tool that will help advance health insurance literacy and empower Connecticut residents to better navigate the healthcare system.”

FAIR Health’s consumer app, available in English (FH Cost Lookup) and Spanish (FH CCSalud); English-language website (fairhealthconsumer.org); and Spanish-language website (consumidor.fairhealth.org) also offer cost estimation services and access to educational and other healthcare-related resources.