HHS says grants under health law saved consumers $18 million

HHS touted its grants to Consumer Assistance Programs (CAPs), which help state-based agencies respond to consumers’ questions about their coverage. CAPs help people find coverage, assist with appeals when coverage is denied and explain how certain policies work, according to HHS.

The department rolled out an initial rounds of grants to CAPs in October 2010. In one year, those grants helped CAPs assist more than 200,000 people and directly saved policyholders more than $18 million, HHS said.

{mosads}When CAPs helped consumers resolve a dispute with their insurance companies, the consumers won 75 percent of the time, HHS said in a statement.

The department touted the program’s initial results as it released a new round of CAP grants.