Enrolled doesnt really mean enrolled

[jflynn4]

Or those who've been frustrated by the Healthcare.gov website ..... Just wait! It gets better.

Once the site indicates that you're "enrolled," it informs you that your next step would be to work with your insurer to get further details. (You receive no email or written paper verification that you've completed the enrollment process.)

Well, at least in the case of Blue Cross of Florida, post enrollment, I have found:

1). Nothing will be sent from the insurer for the "foreseeable" future and they can provide no timeline,

2). The insurer is still trying to "gain confidence) - their words - that subsidies are being calculated accurately,

3). Treatment of those enrolling thru the exchange is not good. Their 800 # representative actually referred to me as "oh, you're one of the ones whose come to us through the new ACA law....." (As she sighs). She suggests contacting my assigned sales rep for any questions I might but but my "assigned sales rep" for the new account will not return calls or respond to emails. (He's there but "always" busy talking to a customer. This has gone on for a week).

I'm sure that they're as overwhelmed as the healthcare.gov phone center ....

Reality .... You don't have to be in a rush to figure out the healthcare.gov site or to "enroll" in anything.

(If the insurers are effectively in a logjam now with the very limited number of enrolled getting thru .... I can't imagine what they're going to be doing in December!)

 

[donheff]

Interesting. These problems seem to be less about the ACA itself than about the drawbacks of the US health insurance industry.

 

[modhatter]

No, I'd say the poorly designed software, and the NEW DEAL.
This is a major change effecting millions and millions of people, and perhaps the enrollment period and insurance representatives are inadequate for the job. It is probably trying on both sides. Something of this scale is bound to have problems in the beginning.

I spent a good part of yesterday trying to get a hold of some reps to answerer a few questions on the Part D policies, It turned into almost an all day affair before I got it all settled.

A side note: Have you all experienced the frustration of trying to get phone numbers for companies? With greater frequency each year, (except for utility bills) they seem to want to hide the number from you. Really make you work hard to get it. I got so frustrated yesterday. Called the number listed on the Medicare.gov web site in the AARP Prescription D info page, and got a guy from India who kept asking me my member #.

When I told him I don't have a member # yet has I am trying to get some information first about the Part D Prescription plan, he didn't know what I was talking about, and just kept asking me to give him my member #.

In shear frustration, i finally said to him. "Do you know what a Medicare Part D Prescription Plan is?" He said no. So of course I moved on.

 

[John Galt III]

Interesting. These problems seem to be less about the ACA itself than about the drawbacks of the US health insurance industry.

I've heard from some folks that the insurers are quite worried about actually receiving the subsidy payment from the govt. I know of one guy who was successfully "enrolled" by the ACA, with a substantial tax credit and cost sharing subsidy approved, but his insurer, BCBS, said he would not get a policy to sign and pay for until 1/1/2014. Wow. BCBS is in NO hurry to sign people up from the ACA, it seems, if they are promised a tax credit / subsidy.