ACA sign Up

[googily]

THIS!

Behind the scenes, and under the covers, the web front end has to access a bunch of restricted sources...

Great explanation, thanks.

As a low-level web developer, I do think, as someone else said somewhere, they could have saved themselves some headaches by putting the general I-just-want-a-basic-idea-of-what-it-will-cost stuff outside of the login flow. I totally understand the desire that's always there to capture as much user data as you can, but for at least the first few days, separate out the basic general info from the actual application process. But as long as it looks like the rollout glitches are getting fixed (and that volume was also playing a role), it's not that big a deal in the long run since, as everyone is saying, it's not like they'll run out of policies.

 

[M Paquette]

Great explanation, thanks.

As a low-level web developer, I do think, as someone else said somewhere, they could have saved themselves some headaches by putting the general I-just-want-a-basic-idea-of-what-it-will-cost stuff outside of the login flow.

Oh, absolutely. CoveredCA.com did some of that, and it is pretty fast to just take a peek at what is available.

Technically, there is a web site at the Federal level that will let you see the prices. It's a pain to use for different reasons (and seems to be missing today. Happy Shutdown!). The policies are all referenced by jargon, and an entirely different set of sites has to be referenced to see what the jargon means and how to map it to the policies.

 

[pb4uski]

If you chose/buy a HI policy for 2014 now, can you change it to something else if you want to between now and then end of December? If not, then why the rush?

 

[MBAustin]

Also remember that when the law was passed, the general assumption was that most states would create and run their own exchanges (remember that one of the things many politicians talked about was how they didn't want the Federal government "taking over", so the state-run exchanges were included to give more individual state control). Then the governors of a lot of those states decided to let the Federal government run their exchanges because they didn't want to look like they were supporting it, or other reasons (it's been so long ago now that in many states people probably have no idea why their state didn't build their own exchange).

Having run large IT projects in my career (although nothing close to this large), I can tell you that building one system to handle 26 different states (each with their own rules about health insurance on top of the federal rules) is at least 10 times more complex and difficult than building 26 different systems. And some states didn't make up their minds until early this year. In some ways, it's a surprise that anything is working at all a day or two into this.

In a couple of weeks I expect that many of the kinks will be worked out and the "tire kickers" will have gone away, so things will start to go more normally. As much as I'm curious about what it looks like and other details, I'm resisting the temptation to go check it out so as not to add to the mess.

 

[homestead]

Noticed on our state's(OR) ACA website that if you put in 30k income only 28 silver plans show up. If you increase income 40k or greater 80 plans show up with catastrophic and bronze plans included.

 

[Sue J]

Here in Ohio we are one of the states using the Federal site www.healthcare.gov

I can still only get as far as inputting my already established user name and password, then I only get a blank page (https://www.healthcare.gov/marketplace/auth/userprofile). If I leave the page open it eventually goes back to "We have many visitors, please stay here. We will send you to the login page...."

I'm certainly not ready to buy. I want to see all the options for Silver and Bronze plans and what insurance companies are included and what their networks are. I already know what our subsidy level will be.

We only have until 10/31/13 because that's when our open enrollment for DHs retiree plan ends. I don't want to opt-out of the retiree plan without having a solid understanding of our Obamacare options. DH's retiree plan is almost double the cost of what I expect our 2nd lowest Silver Plan will be based on the Kaiser calculator.

I'll continue to be patient. Tonight our Cleveland Indians play in a Wild Card game so I'll just leave the page open and see if I magically get some real info.

 

[sengsational]

Noticed on our state's(OR) ACA website that if you put in 30k income only 28 silver plans show up. If you increase income 40k or greater 80 plans show up with catastrophic and bronze plans included.

So if you have less income, they are forbidding you from buying some plans, or is it just a suggestion?

 

[anethum]

 

[MRG]

Thats agile!

MRG

 

[Buckeye]

Scary thing for me, now, is that the system DID eventually let me get thru to the personal verification process. It looks very similar to the process that online credit grantors use (I.e., which of these cities have you previously lived, which of these employers, etc). After three questions, it popped up an error message and said that "we're sorry, you will need to contact 1-800-xxx-xxxx for further assistance or you may chose to submit proof of identity directly to us."

I called the 800 # ... It went to the Equifax customer service number where I was asked for the reference number that "would be provided." Of course, that was probably the error message that had popped up. With out that number, they're saying "sorry, can't help ya."

So I managed to get back in one more time but when I logged in, the system told me that I had exhausted my options for personal identity and would need to call either the 1-800 # or submit documents directly .... And, of course, it provided no link for submission of documents.

Going to wait til next Tuesday to try again and, hopefully, they'll have things worked out a bit more smoothly.

(You know, when I've been involved with a major rollout in the private sector, it's been done incrementally instead of nationwide, all at once. Wondering why they wouldn't have rolled out a single state for a couple days and then gradually cleared through the rest of the country where they might have been able to manage volumes. I suppose government works differently than the private sector on that kind of thinking).

During the identity verification process, something like this happened to me although I never even got a chance to answer the questions! I have called SSA to make sure all my info is correct and I'm checking all my credit reports looking for anything odd. I did find that one of the bureaus had a Sr. added to my name.

I talked to several people at Equifax and to multiple people at Exchange Customer Service. One Equifax person searched the pile of errors using my name and one sheepishly asked for my SSN. Heck, y'all have had all my info for years. Why wouldn't I give you my SSN today?

I finally found an Exchange Customer Service rep who sounded older than 12 and who understood what had happened to me during the identity verification process that I was in limbo. She didn't know what to do about it (nor did her supervisor) so I was sent back to Equifax where I ended up talking to the guy who tried to find me using my SSN.

I have not yet read the entire thread so forgive me if this has already been discussed and hopefully resolved! My plan at this point is to call the Equifax number again in the morning and see if my info has been received by them from the Exchange.

 

[homestead]

So if you have less income, they are forbidding you from buying some plans, or is it just a suggestion?

Looks like you can't buy those with lower income

 

[rbmrtn]

I can still only get as far as inputting my already established user name and password, then I only get a blank page

When you get to this page, look in the upper right corner. There is a little "person" icon looks like a head+shoulders. Click that it opened another page with links for My applications and My profile ( at least it did for me ). I was able to start the application process from there.

 

[Buckeye]

Even though I had an identity verification issue, I was able to complete my application. The problem is I'm not allowed to submit my app until my identity is verified.

I saw some prices in a really cool interactive chart in the Tampa Bay Times and there are plans with prices within $20 of our current high deductible Humana policy. Looks like Humana priced their plans very aggressively.

 

[zedd]

+1

 

[homebody]

Even though I had an identity verification issue, I was able to complete my application. The problem is I'm not allowed to submit my app until my identity is verified.

Make sure you do not have a credit freeze / lock on your Experian credit file. If you do, unlock it before you even start. If you do not, the automated identity check will not work. Then you will have to use a manual option such as calling Experian or uploading documents.

 

[ShokWaveRider]

Seems fine now in NE Florida.

 

[shotgunner]

I was able to login to Healthcare.gov this morning at about 8AM Eastern and completed my application. The process took about 20 mins. I answered the 4 questions related to verification of ID but was not verified. It gave me an alpha-numeric code and number to call Experian. I called, about 15 min wait time, I was on the phone with them for 10 mins or less and was verified. My application for New Hampshire is now being processed and I am awaiting the next step/notice from Healthcare.gov to proceed further.

 

[Rich_by_the_Bay]

ACA resource

The latest Consumer Reports has the best summary and guidance I have yet to read.

 

[Sue J]

I was up early this morning so I tried to log in. Firefox never showed the login page so I tried Internet Explorer and after about a 15 min wait I was able to login!

From there I tried the identity verification. For most of the questions the answer was None Of The Above and then I got the screen that says your identity cannot be verified, call Experian. I knew to copy the alpha numeric code for the Experian call. Then I had to leave for a while. I called Experian when I got back and after a wait I got a person who tried to help but he said he got a technical error, wrote a ticket and he said they will call me back. Hmmm......

Now I can't even get to the login page. I think this is going to be a long month.

90 minutes later and I was able to login at www.healthcare.gov and fill out the information about family and income. Some of it was awkward as I have a school year 9 mo part time job and then a 3 mo summer part time job. I took my 9 mo income and spread it out over 12 months to make it monthly and then the 3 mo job I called a one time income. For DH I used the taxable portion of his pension averaged over 12 months (his COLA is in June) and also used interest income as his.

Then I got another ID verification deal that did not complete and then the site had a message that the site is down. But I did get as far as "In Process" and an ID number, so I know I've made some headway. Still haven't seen any subsidy calculation or options for plans but I know I'm just stuck in traffic on the Obamacare information highway.

 

[brewer12345]

I have not been able to log into the Colorado site although it claims I have created an account. I was going to call them this morning when I discovered that they have added a way to browse policy offerings without an account and it will even let you shop based on what you tell them about income and family size to take into account subsidies and cost sharing. As such, I was able to find a Kaiser silver plan that would have a zero deductible, copays for most regular items (rather than coinsurance) and a $4500 family max OOP for a very reasonable amount of money based on a MAGI of $46k. Looks like the last major financial detail I needed to nal down before quitting is settled.

Anyone have experience with Kaiser as a provider? I have not been in an HMO for over a decade.

 

[M Paquette]

Anyone have experience with Kaiser as a provider? I have not been in an HMO for over a decade.

I've been in Kaiser Permanentey Northern California for 6 years now.

Cribbing from WIkipedia:

In the California Healthcare Quality Report Card 2011 Edition, Kaiser Permanente's Northern California and Southern California regions, Kaiser received 4 out of 4 possible stars in Meeting National Standards of Care. Kaiser North and South also received 3 out of 4 stars in Members Rate Their HMO.

The Colorado operation ranks between the Northern and Southern California operations in a couple of surveys.

They're pretty good for preventive care and management of chronic problems. There are generally a number of primary care physicians that you can choose from at the nearest clinic, or you can just go with 'pot luck' and be assigned to someone. Like most HMOs your initial point of contact for non-emergency care is the primary care physician. If they can't handle a problem they can set up a referral to a specialist. The Kaiser operations all use electronic appointments and record keeping, which makes this process much easier. For example, in a recent checkup the doctor spotted something suspicious on my skin that she didn't feel comfortable with spritzing with liquid nitrogen (I get cryo every year for actinic keloids. Yeah, no sunblock as a kid...). At the end of the appointment, I went down the hall and had the suspicious spot photographed. The images were attached to my electronic record, checked by a dermatologist, and a few days later I was called with a new dermatology appointment set up for me.

So, they seem to work for me. It is important to know how the system works. Folks that try to bypass the primary care physician will be frustrated. (And yes, I see someone weeping or throwing a tantrum over this every time I've been in a specialists waiting room.)

 

[brewer12345]

I've been in Kaiser Permanentey Northern
They're pretty good for preventive care and management of chronic problems. There are generally a number of primary care physicians that you can choose from at the nearest clinic, or you can just go with 'pot luck' and be assigned to someone. Like most HMOs your initial point of contact for non-emergency care is the primary care physician. If they can't handle a problem they can set up a referral to a specialist. The Kaiser operations all use electronic appointments and record keeping, which makes this process much easier. For example, in a recent checkup the doctor spotted something suspicious on my skin that she didn't feel comfortable with spritzing with liquid nitrogen (I get cryo every year for actinic keloids. Yeah, no sunblock as a kid...). At the end of the appointment, I went down the hall and had the suspicious spot photographed. The images were attached to my electronic record, checked by a dermatologist, and a few days later I was called with a new dermatology appointment set up for me.

So, they seem to work for me. It is important to know how the system works. Folks that try to bypass the primary care physician will be frustrated. (And yes, I see someone weeping or throwing a tantrum over this every time I've been in a specialists waiting room.)

Thanks. MIL and SIL both have been in Kaiser for many years and have historically had good things to say. I will quiz them about it when I see them this weekend. I noticed that Kaiser also generally gets really high marks from Consumer Reports as well.

 

[Sue J]

In 1983/84 we were with an HMO that is not Kaiser. It was very convenient and most appointments were with no co-pay. It all looked very nice to the casual consumer.

I had my first pregnancy with this HMO. I had valid concerns about the baby's growth, but they kept telling me I was close enough to the normal range that I shouldn't be concerned, I was just a first timer, they were the educated experts.

In 1984 ultrasounds weren't the standard, they were an extra test at an extra cost and in an HMO extras are parceled out carefully because they are an additional cost to the HMO, not the patient.

My son was full-term, but only 4 lb 1 oz, intra-uterine growth retardation due to an insufficient placenta. He had very poor Apgar scores but recovered once he got oxygen and nutrition. My Dr. was clueless and kept denying that there were growth issues and that he ignored my concerns. The kid is now 29 and just fine.

After that I promised to never use an HMO because they decided on care depending on how it affected their profits. I know these things have evolved since then and this was not Kaiser. Kaiser seems to be very well respected. Still, I'd rather have another type of health plan.

 

[M Paquette]

Thanks. MIL and SIL both have been in Kaiser for many years and have historically had good things to say. I will quiz them about it when I see them this weekend. I noticed that Kaiser also generally gets really high marks from Consumer Reports as well.

I should mention that we are on a high deductible HSA eligible plan with copays. So, we pay some fees for every event except annual physicals and related tests, which are prepaid as part of our premiums.

They're offering multiple plans in each ACA variety (Bronze, Silver, etc).

 

[brewer12345]

I should mention that we are on a high deductible HSA eligible plan with copays. So, we pay some fees for every event except annual physicals and related tests, which are prepaid as part of our premiums.

They're offering multiple plans in each ACA variety (Bronze, Silver, etc).

I dialled in a MAGI of $46k for a family of 4, which is a touch below 200% FPL. Easily doable for us next year. As a result, the quotes I saw included the subsidy and the cost sharing (zero deductible, greatly reduced max OOP, most things as a copay rather than coinsurance). I've no problem with modest copays, especially as we don't use a lot of medical care services. Much better than coinsurance.