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At last, consumers will have a “Summary of Benefits and Coverage” as a standardized, plain language tool to understand their health plans. Under a rule announced last week by HHS, health insurers are now required to provide consumers with clear, consistent, and comparable summary information.  Here’s the link: http://cciio.cms.gov/resources/files/Files2/02102012/blank-sbc-template-finalpdf.pdf Testing ...
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Maryland is the latest state to eliminate the 10-codes in favor of using plain language to make it easier to communicate during emergencies and with other, non-police, departments. For example, instead of saying “10-46,” police will now say “disabled vehicle.” In addition to confusion over the codes themselves, not all ...
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The power of words to change how people hear a message. Change your words. Change your world. This short film is from a web content agency in the UK. See the video on YouTube for credits. ...
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This article on the role of pictures in health literacy underscores the fact that plain language is about more than just the words we use – it’s about the way we present information, too. Layout and design is just as important as language, and can have a huge effect on ...
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We don't usually post information about our individual board members, but two recent awards merit mention. The Center and its members are so proud of these accomplishments! ...
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by Joanne Locke On March 1, the Washington Post published an article by Sandra Boodman’s on the need for clear health communication: “When Understanding is Critical” She describes the some serious problems that can result when patients don’t understand how to comply with their doctor’s instructions.  But she seems to ...
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