Mr Lembo said that the grant will allow OHA to hire two additional case managers to handle the increased demand in caseload. He also expects to hire one additional employee to coordinate outreach and analyze data.

Mr Lembo noted that the award designates OHA as the state’s designated health insurance consumer assistance program, and as a result, all fully and self-insured plans offering group or individual coverage to provide notices to consumers of the availability of OHA’s assistance with appeals.

“We expect our case volume to increase rapidly as a result of this very important notice requirement of federal health care reform. Consumers now will have our information at hand so we can help them as soon as they need it.”

The Consumer Assistance Programs envisioned in the federal health care reform law are based largely on the Connecticut experience with the Office of the Healthcare Advocate. OHA was created by the legislature in 1999 to provide education and direct consumer assistance for patients and their families denied access to treatment or services by their insurance company.

Since its creation, OHA has assisted tens of thousands of Connecticut residents to untangle the complexities of the health care and health care financing systems. Through effective advocacy, the office has realized savings for consumers of more than $20 million.