Health insurance jargon can seem like a foreign language to many Americans, and those who bought insurance benefits on the federal and state exchanges are encountering issues navigating what certain words mean, according to Kaiser Health News.
Kaiser reported insurance terms and phrases, such as coinsurance and deductible, can be confusing to even those who have had health insurance for years. A lack of health literacy can be detrimental to the healthcare industry, according to Kaiser, as Americans who don't understand what certain insurance jargon mean might not be able to use their health plans correctly. In addition, Kaiser reported Spanish-speaking Americans even have trouble understanding insurance terms when they are translated from English to Spanish, because the phrases and words often don't come with explanations about what they mean.
An article in Philly.com noted some insurers have started educating their consumers, providing enrollees with information on what the difference between certain types of plans are and what a deductible means.
However, this information can be late in arriving. Some enrollees didn't even receive information on what is even covered in their new health plans until months after their coverage started, according to Kaiser.