Resources
The businesses and organizations included
on this page provide information about
Hospital
performance evaluations,
Health
care insurance and programs,
Physician
lookup, and
Obstetrics.
Click on any link above to review information
for that topic.
Hospital
Evaluation Resources
The Maryland Health Care Commission
(MHCC) is the state agency, along with the HSCRC
(see below), responsible for developing the Hospital Performance
Evaluation Guide. For more information about the Commission,
its public members and its work, visit their web site at www.mhcc.maryland.gov or
call toll-free 1-877-245-1762.
The Maryland Health Services Cost
Review Commission (HSCRC) is the state agency
responsible for reviewing and approving hospital rates
and making financial information about Maryland hospitals
available to the public. For more information about the
HSCRC, its public members and its work, visit their web
site at www.hscrc.state.md.us or
call 877-4MD-DHMH or 410-764-2605.
The Joint Commission on Accreditation
of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) has prepared
a guide to assist consumers to select a hospital: Helping You Choose
the Hospital For You.
You may visit their Web site at www.jcaho.org or
call 630-792-5000.
The Agency for Health Research
and Quality (AHRQ) is the lead federal agency
responsible for research on how the health care system
is working including research on quality, cost, access,
use of services, and health care outcomes and patient safety.
AHRQ has a variety of resources for consumers, including
consumer guides for improved health and health care (for
example, a guide on questions to ask prior to surgery).
Information on health conditions, diseases, and quality
of care information is available at www.ahrq.gov/consumer/.
The Maryland Department of Health
and Mental Hygiene (DHMH) is the State agency
responsible for the licensing and regulatory oversight
of Maryland hospitals through the Office of Health Care
Quality. Visit their Web site at www.dhmh.state.md.us/ohcq/ or
call toll-free 1-877-402-8218.
The Maryland Attorney General's
Office publishes the reports that are of value
for hospital patients', including a
guide to understanding your medical bill, what to do when
you are denied insurance coverage, and other
consumer reports.
The Association of Maryland Hospitals & Health
Systems (MHA) is a hospital advocacy, resource
and quality improvement organization. A Web site is available
providing information on its activities at http://www.mdhospitals.org/
or call 410-379-6200.
The Veterans Affairs (VA) Maryland
Health Care System is a health care organization dedicated
to providing quality, compassionate, and accessible care and
service to Maryland's veterans. The VA has many medical centers
and outpatient clinics located throughout the state that all
work together to form a comprehensive health care delivery
system. Additional information about VA hospitals can be found
at www.vamhcs.med.va.gov.
Office of the Inspector General
The mission of the Office of the Inspector General is to protect the integrity of the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DHMH) and promote standards that benefit the citizens of Maryland and beneficiaries of its programs.
Health
Insurance Resources
The Maryland Insurance Administration
(MIA) is an independent State agency that regulates
Maryland's insurance industry and protects consumers by
ensuring that insurance companies and health plans act
in accordance with State insurance laws. You may visit
their Web site at www.mdinsurance.state.md.us or
call toll-free 1-800-492-6116. From the Web site home page,
click on the Consumer Information link to the left to find
information intended to help you make better insurance
decisions.
The Maryland Medical Assistance
Programs are an integral part of the Maryland
Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. The programs provide
access to health care services for many of the State’s
low-income residents. This Web site contains information
about each program or service and provides instructions
on how and where to apply for benefits. Visit their Web
site at www.dhmh.state.md.us/mma/mmahome.html.
The Web site provides the names and telephone numbers of
the various agencies and companies who provide medical
insurance benefits.
Insurance providers who offer benefits
in the state of Maryland include:
Aetna, Inc. offers a
number of services and programs to individuals and families
including several preferred provider organization (PPO) plans.
Review information about Aetna’s plans on their Web
site http://www.aetna.com/members/individuals/health/plans.html?state=Maryland or
call them at 1-800-MY-Health (694-3258).
CareFirst of Maryland, Inc., an
independent licensee of the BlueCross and BlueShield Association,
is the largest health care insurer in the Mid-Atlantic region.
Visit their e-sales site at www.carefirst.com/eSales/index.jsp to
review the costs and details for their various plans. Find
an office near you to receive additional information or answers
to your questions. The offices are available at www.carefirst.com/company/html/Locations.html.
CIGNA Corporation provides
quality health, dental, vision, pharmacy and behavioral health
coverage for employees and their families. All CIGNA plans
offer quality care delivered by an extensive network of
health care professionals. Visit their Web site at www.cigna.com/health/consumer/.
Coventry Health Care Inc. offers
a variety of flexible health benefit programs along with
a long-term commitment to service excellence. Visit their
Web site at www.chcde.com/framesetdef.asp?Community=Member to
learn about their products and benefit plans, search for
participating doctors, request forms and literature, use
their health education resources and more.
The Graphic Arts Benefit Corporation
(GABC) is a unique health benefits program serving
the Washington DC, Maryland and Virginia areas. Complete
an on-line form to receive information on the various plans
available through GABC: www.gabchealth.org/quotes.htm .
For nearly 50 years, Great-West
Healthcare, a division of Great-West Life & Annuity
Insurance Company, has pioneered new ideas from the frontier
of health care, offering creative benefit solutions that
engage employees and help businesses manage costs. Click
on the Products and Services link on the right side of
their Web site home page at www.greatwesthealthcare.com/ for
plan information.
The Guardian Life Insurance Company
of America is the fourth largest mutual life insurance
company in America, with 145 years of experience in providing
diversified financial solutions, including life insurance,
disability income insurance, retirement services, employee
benefits, and investments. Visit their Web site at www.guardianlife.com/solutions/product_portfolio/employee_benefits.html
for more information.
Kaiser Permanente is
a non-profit health plan committed to improving the health
of the communities they serve. They offer health plans and
programs for individuals as well as groups. Find more information
on their Web site at www.kaiserpermanente.org.
New York Life Insurance Company offers
long-term care insurance to cover the costs for those who
will stay in a nursing home or require professional home
health care. Long-term care insurance can help protect
assets, protect estates, and preserve an individual's freedom
of choice, should a long-term care need arise. Visit their
Web site at www.newyorklife.com/ and
click on the Long-Term Care Insurance link for more information.
The MEGA Life and Health Insurance
Company provides a diversified line of health
insurance and related products to small business owners
and other individuals. On their Web site, you will find
specific customer information, frequently used forms, contact
information should you require more detail or service,
and frequently asked questions. Visit MEGA at www.megainsurance.com/Default.aspx.
The Principal Mutual Life Insurance
Company offers a variety of tools to help you
better understand your health and health insurance benefits.
Visit their Web site at www.principal.com to
learn about your health insurance benefits and experience
their special programs and website tools designed to help
you get healthy and stay healthy!
Trustmark Insurance Company offers
health and life insurance and benefits administration services
to employer groups. Click the various links off of the Trustmark
Web site home page to view information on their various insurance
plans: www.trustmarkinsurance.com/internet/corporate/app/index.
The UnitedHealth Care Group provides
health care products, programs and services giving people
in Maryland the information and resources they need to stay
healthy. To view all plans offered to Maryland residents,
view the Web site home page at www.uhc.com,
select Medical from the View Our Plans menu, click on the
Plans by State link on the left side of the page, and select
Maryland from the menu.
Mid Atlantic Medical Services,
LLC (MAMSI) is a subsidiary of UnitedHealth Group
Incorporated. MAMSI offers a variety of health coverage
and home health care insurance through its many subsidiaries.
Find information on their Web site at www.mamsi.com/index.jsp.
Union Labor Life Insurance Company,
Inc. (ULLICO) seeks a better quality of life for working
people by offering innovative insurance, investment, financial
and administrative products and services that help organized
labor meet its goals. Find information on their products on
their Web site at http://www.ullico.com/b/index.cfm.
The Centers for Medicaid & Medicare Services hosts the official U.S. Government site for people with Medicare, medicare.gov.
Physician
Resources
The Maryland Department of Health
and Mental Hygiene Board of Physicians’ mission
is to protect the health and safety of the citizens of
Maryland through strong enforcement of licensure standards
for physicians and allied health providers and an effective
disciplinary program. Visit the Board of Physician’s
Web site at www.mbp.state.md.us to
review license dates and any active disciplinary actions
for your doctor, therapist, pharmacist, etc.
Obstetrics
Resources
The Maryland Center for Maternal
and Child Health is part of the Maryland Department
of Health and Mental Hygiene's Family Health Administration.
Its mission is to protect, promote and improve the health
and well-being of women, children and adolescents in Maryland.
The Center has online information about the first prenatal
visit, nutrition, common complaints, and problem signs.
The site can be accessed at http://www.fha.state.md.us/mch/html/prenatal.html#early
The La Leche League Web
site, http://www.lalecheleague.org,
is sponsored by La Leche League International, an international,
nonprofit, organization dedicated to providing education,
information, support, and encouragement to women who want
to breastfeed.
The National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration provides information on the proper
use of a child safety seat and how to buy a booster seat
on their Web site: http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/CPS/.
The Department of Heath and Human
Services Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Web
site provides information on preventing birth defects.
Not all birth defects can be prevented, but a woman can
take some actions that increase her chance of having a
healthy baby. Many birth defects happen very early in pregnancy,
sometimes before a woman even knows she is pregnant. Remember
that about half of all pregnancies are unplanned. Visit
their Web site at http:www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/bd/abc.htm.
The American Academy of Pediatrics is
a physician's association committed to the attainment of
optimal physical, mental, and social health and well being
for all infants, children, adolescents, and young adults.
A number of resources for the family can be found on their
Web site at http://www.aap.org/family/.
The American College of Nurse
Midwives site provides consumer information on
the role of a nurse midwife, how to locate a midwife, and
other information for expectant mothers and their families.
Find information on their Web site at http://www.midwife.org.
An organization committed to improving
maternal health. SaferMaternity hopes to
create a caring place for women and their families to share
their stories, their knowledge, and their dreams. To access
the site click here http://www.safermaternity.org
International Cesarean
Awareness Network (ICAN). ICAN’s mission is to prevent unnecessary cesareans
through education and to support women who are healing from
past birth experiences. ICAN also provides information for
women who are planning a vaginal birth after cesarean. Their
web site is www.ican-online.org
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