Were you successful in the ACA signup

[Sue J]

My DH is on a few meds and has shopped prices, asking for pricing with and without insurance. He also gets discount cards or coupons online at goodrx.com.

He found a terrific pharmacist at Target who works with him and price matches.

We've also used GoodRX to search for low prices. I was able to find local stores with low prices and didn't need the coupons. That was in 2012.

For 2014 I've saved my list at GoodRX and now it looks like I'll need the coupons. How do these work at places like Walmart and Target? Do you present the coupon once and it's good for a 90 day Rx and then also good on the refills? Not a problem to print a coupon for a refill every 3 months.

I'm willing to jump through a few hoops to get good prices on Rxs, even going outside of our insurance plan. It won't count toward our deductible if I go outside the plan but it's usually worth the price difference.

In 2012 the best price I found for Losartan was at Costco.com. I was happy that I could do it all online and I didn't need a Costco membership to do it. The closest Costco is about 35 miles away.

We are lucky so far on our Rxs. Mine are low cost generics on the lists at local pharmacies for 90 days/$10 or less. DH has one that's a little more expensive and another one that is about $80/90 days. Those are the ones that I look for on GoodRx.com

 

[MRG]

My DH is on a few meds and has shopped prices, asking for pricing with and without insurance. He also gets discount card
s or coupons online at goodrx.com.

He found a terrific pharmacist at Target who works with him and price matches.

Well go figure, I must have used the brand name instead of the generic. Your post should save me $300, a month next year.

Thank you so much.
MRG

 

[NoMoreJob]

Our state runs its own exchange. I was able to sign up in October and my initial monthly payment was accepted on 12/1 - the earliest possible date I could schedule it. The insurance company tells me that our cards have been mailed but I'm out of town right now so can't be certain.

I have scheduled an appointment with the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale with no problem and the insurance company website states that Mayo is in network (a Blue Cross Plan). I've also confirmed this with the insurance company by phone. Ironically, if my Blue Cross insurance was issued in Arizona then Mayo would not be in network as Mayo does not have an agreement with BCBS-AZ. As an out-of-state BC policyholder Mayo is included within the BlueCard Nationwide PPO network.

 

[Accidental Retiree]

We've also used GoodRX to search for low prices. I was able to find local stores with low prices and didn't need the coupons. That was in 2012.

For 2014 I've saved my list at GoodRX and now it looks like I'll need the coupons. How do these work at places like Walmart and Target? Do you present the coupon once and it's good for a 90 day Rx and then also good on the refills? Not a problem to print a coupon for a refill every 3 months.

He only takes the coupon or card in the first time, they put it into their system at Target, and that' s the price from then on. They also have a list of the $4 prescriptions, which he got today, and have given him an itemized list of his meds and which price he is paying: insurance-negotiated, RX card, or just the $4 generic cost.

 

[pb4uski]

Our deadline was effectively extended 3 months to March 31. Until then our current HDHI plan remains in effect at 2013 rates.

I have mailed an application to the feds for an exemption certificate as the lowest cost bronze policy exceeds 8% or our projected 2014 MAGI and am awaiting a response from the feds.

Once I have the exemption certificate I can buy catastrophic coverage even though were are over 30.

If we can't get the exemption certificate before the end of March my plan B is to buy a bronze policy. I'm allegedly only a couple clicks away from being able to do so.

 

[ziggy29]

Both of us received our enrollment cards today -- DW for her plan sponsored by the church, and my (corrected) ACA enrollment through BCBSTX with my AI/AN status reflected correctly. Sighs of relief from here.

 

[anethum]

I signed up for an ACA plan directly with the insurer since I am not seeking a subsidy. I plan on harvesting LTCG & doing Roth conversions, so my MAGI will be well above the subsidy ceiling.

 

[steelhead]

Anthem and Covered CA

Did you select Kaiser instead of Anthem?

Our timelines are similar, but I chose Anthem and sit here insurance-cardless, uncharged despite credit card payment, and un-Welcomed.

But, hey, I am repeatedly told I am enrolled and have submitted initial payment.

We chose Anthem through Covered CA and are in the same boat as you.

 

[homestead]

I signed up for ACA via paper form in Oregon since the web site wasn't working and a
short time later found out that I could keep my old HSA policy for one more year.
Cover Oregon just sent me a letter saying I was approved for medicade which is a
mistake since my income is too high. My insurance broker said several people have
been getting these approvals in error. Too late to get this fixed so I signed up for
current policy for another year, price only went up $6 /month. Now I have to call
Cover Oregon and get them to cancel the medicade. ACA seems like a train wreck in
slow motion, hope it is back on the track by next year. Good luck to all.

 

[Accidental Retiree]

We chose Anthem through Covered CA and are in the same boat as you.

Thanks for letting me know you're in the same situation. I cannot believe it's taking so long for them to get this together, and I've started to worry a bit about whether I landed on some spoof website and provided my info to the bad guys.

I thought about driving down to Oxnard and helping them out with the paperwork.

My husband has gotten all his meds refilled for 3 months and told his friendly Target pharmacist to disenroll him from auto-refill since he's not really sure when he will get his card. The pharmacist says she's had many people come in and tell her that they have insurance on its way, and they show her some paperwork, but without the actual insurance card, she can't do anything for them.

At least DH was able to find out that his meds, w/o insurance, won't break the bank.

 

[audreyh1]

You might be able to print out a temporary card if you have an online account - some insurance companies provide this feature.

We just keep checking our status online as phone waits are still incredibly long even for billing questions. Today DH finally saw no bill pending/due on his old policy, so he is no longer worried about getting double billed.

 

[aja8888]

Daughter got her BCBSTX cards today. What a pain in the @$$ go go through to get this done.

 

[ziggy29]

Daughter got her BCBSTX cards today. What a pain in the @$$ go go through to get this done.

+1000, but at least I feel like 99% of the battle is behind me after getting the card today.

I've been fighting this since early October and had to deal with a botched first enrollment because of a buggy data transfer between the Marketplace and BCBSTX (I had to apply a second time and enroll again because the ability to perform a "life change" is still not there). They finally got that bad one backed out and canceled, and linked my second (correct) enrollment to my existing account (I have a short-term plan expiring after tomorrow so I already had a member ID). I paid on Saturday (still not posted AFAIK) and got my enrollment card today.

It helped that I rose a mini-stink on social media, and I eventually got the direct line of a specialist who helped me get through this. I have to think her job has NOT been fun for the last couple months. Hope she gets a well-deserved vacation after the dust settles here.

 

[daylatedollarshort]

DH was able to sign in online to Blue Shield today. We are all in the system despite paper correspondence stating a child only policy. He was able to order more ID cards and print temporary ones, so for now we all have cards.

The next hurdle will be our first doctor appointment and seeing the cards actually accepted. I am hopeful the bulk of the hassles are behind us, although when we had COBRA our medical and dental insurance was cancelled just about every month for one reason or another, even though I always paid up 2 months in advance. We would have to call and make a stink to get it reinstated.

Good luck to everyone else.

 

[Sue J]

DH got 2 cards in the mail today, both with his name. Is one for me? Or will my cards come tomorrow? Don't know yet. Supposedly on 1/1/14 we can see the new policy info online and I can print a card if I'm supposed to have my own.

Our previous insurance through DH's pension plan had each of us in our own individual policies so we each had cards with our own name and ID #s.

During December we refilled our prescriptions for the next 90 days and no appointments upcoming until Feb, so we should be fine for a while. I got printed prescriptions from my doctor so I can shop around if our plan's prescription costs are high.

 

[HGTVfan]

Hi everyone,
This is my first post aside from my introduction. I came out of lurkdom to say thanks to all here who posted problems and solutions with the ACA sign up. Your comments helped me.
I was able to enroll through Healthcare.gov in early December. It took about two weeks to hear from the insurer, Aetna. But I then made my payment and about a week ago received my membership card. I have also been able to register on their website.
So thanks again everyone.

 

[wolf]

DH got 2 cards in the mail today, both with his name. Is one for me? Or will my cards come tomorrow? Don't know yet. Supposedly on 1/1/14 we can see the new policy info online and I can print a card if I'm supposed to have my own.

Our previous insurance through DH's pension plan had each of us in our own individual policies so we each had cards with our own name and ID #s.

During December we refilled our prescriptions for the next 90 days and no appointments upcoming until Feb, so we should be fine for a while. I got printed prescriptions from my doctor so I can shop around if our plan's prescription costs are high.

just an update: ACA Covered California.

Applied in Nov. Blue Shield of California Paid, first premium. Dec. 17, credit card over phone.

Wife and 2 children (16 and 20). ID card only has wife's name. she called
and was told children do not get an ID card in their names.

One warning.....that is never discussed.....after you finally get insurance,
YOU STILL HAVE TO PROVIDE PROOF of INCOME....to covered California.

There is a time limit, dead line, that must be observed.

Again, for Covered California, (not sure of other states), even though, in the original application, you provided income verification, you have to do
it over again. (must FAX, MAIL, OR ÚPLOAD, THE INFO, TO COVERED CA).

 

[audreyh1]

Hi everyone,
This is my first post aside from my introduction. I came out of lurkdom to say thanks to all here who posted problems and solutions with the ACA sign up. Your comments helped me.
I was able to enroll through Healthcare.gov in early December. It took about two weeks to hear from the insurer, Aetna. But I then made my payment and about a week ago received my membership card. I have also been able to register on their website.
So thanks again everyone.

I think we all really helped each other out. This forum was invaluable to me throughout the process, so I am very grateful too!

 

[scrabbler1]

So I finally received a premium notice from BCBS (New York) as I was expecting. But the bad news is that it is not for the policy I chose through the NY Marketplace Exchange. Instead, it is for a different BCBS policy, one they put me into by default as a replacement for the non-ACA-compliant one I ahd through them since 2011. Earlier today, before I had checked the mail, I tried calling BCBS several times asking about the status of the policy I had signed up for through the NY Exchange, the one I was told twice by phone reps who called me to tell me I was finally in their system after signing up back in early October. But I have no patience for being put on hold for more than 10 minutes so I hung up each time. This leaves me with a premium notice for a policy that I don't want while awaiting a premium notice for a policy I do want.

And I am still trying to figure out why the NY Marketplace wants more documents relating to my income which is all investment income. A few weeks ago, after receiving an email from them asking for some documents, even though I am not seeking the subsidy to be applied to my monthly payment, I had a lengthy online chat with a rep who told me to upload a November monthly statement which included YTD investment income totals. Is this new request simply asking for a complete 2013 investment income total to retain eligibility for the subsidy or do they want something else? I tried calling the NY Marketplace's help number but guess what? I got put on hold for 10 minutes a few times and I hung up. With them, at least, I could leave a callback number so they can call me tomorrow. Then again, I will be out during the day for a few hours so I will probably miss the call.

This is beginning to be annoying, having to fight on two fronts, unable to actually speak to anyone when I call. I guess I could pay the premium notice I received, perhaps for the lower amount due with the policy I want. But who's to say they will apply the payment correctly. BCBS can't seem to get their act together and bill me for what I actually want instead of what they assigned to me by default and without my consent. I need that woman BCBS rep who called me twice a few weeks ago to call me again so I can tell her all the bad things which have happened since then.

 

[KB]

I completed signing up with coveredca.com in early December. Then I got the confusing letter than made me think I wasn't covered. I sent in a copy of my 2012 Federal tax return (as requested for income verification) and today spent 80 minutes on hold waiting to verify I was covered. Then since Kaiser had not sent me a payment request, I spent another 30 minutes waiting to make a payment at Kaiser.

I verified, paid and am ready for 1/1/2014 coverage with Kaiser on a new plan. I've had Kaiser for about 11 years, but this new plan will be subsidized.

 

[MRG]

I think we all really helped each other out. This forum was invaluable to me throughout the process, so I am very grateful too!

+1 or more.
Many thanks to all that have helped educate me about the law. Signup was difficult at first, with all the help here, it became easier.

MRG

 

[MichaelB]

And I am still trying to figure out why the NY Marketplace wants more documents relating to my income which is all investment income. A few weeks ago, after receiving an email from them asking for some documents, even though I am not seeking the subsidy to be applied to my monthly payment, I had a lengthy online chat with a rep who told me to upload a November monthly statement which included YTD investment income totals. Is this new request simply asking for a complete 2013 investment income total to retain eligibility for the subsidy or do they want something else? I tried calling the NY Marketplace's help number but guess what? I got put on hold for 10 minutes a few times and I hung up. With them, at least, I could leave a callback number so they can call me tomorrow. Then again, I will be out during the day for a few hours so I will probably miss the call.

The documents they are requesting are for income verification. Even if you don't want the subsidy and will wait until year end for the credit you still need the verification process.

I would call and not hang up, even after 10 minutes. If you just start paying the renewal policy you lose the option for the tax credit.

 

[scrabbler1]

The documents they are requesting are for income verification. Even if you don't want the subsidy and will wait until year end for the credit you still need the verification process.

I would call and not hang up, even after 10 minutes. If you just start paying the renewal policy you lose the option for the tax credit.

I understand that the income verification process needs the documents even if I am not claiming the subsidy until the end of the year. That matches what the online rep said.

I called BCBS just now and had to wait nearly an hour to get an agent who was very helpful in telling me how to make my first payment. I can't wait for the year-end Fidelity statement to get to me (so I can upload it to the NY Marketplace) and still meet the Jan 10 deadline for the first payment. The NY Marketplace has a Jan 28 (or Jan 31, I forget which) deadline for more documents so I can't see losing the option for the subsidy simply by making the first payment by Jan 10. I'll have to talk to the NY Marketplace folks about that, assuming they try to call me as they promised.

I still don't know what my 2013 income has to do with the subsidy I will be claiming on my 2014 income tax return in April of 2015. What if my 2013 income puts me out of range of a subsidy but my 2014 income is lower and falls within the range for the subsidy? They won't try to deny my eligibility for a subsidy, will they? And the Fidelity statement's 2013 income is not going to be my 2013 AGI (or 2014 AGI), either.

 

[MichaelB]

I understand that the income verification process needs the documents even if I am not claiming the subsidy until the end of the year. That matches what the online rep said.

I called BCBS just now and had to wait nearly an hour to get an agent who was very helpful in telling me how to make my first payment. I can't wait for the year-end Fidelity statement to get to me (so I can upload it to the NY Marketplace) and still meet the Jan 10 deadline for the first payment. The NY Marketplace has a Jan 28 (or Jan 31, I forget which) deadline for more documents so I can't see losing the option for the subsidy simply by making the first payment by Jan 10. I'll have to talk to the NY Marketplace folks about that, assuming they try to call me as they promised.

I still don't know what my 2013 income has to do with the subsidy I will be claiming on my 2014 income tax return in April of 2015. What if my 2013 income puts me out of range of a subsidy but my 2014 income is lower and falls within the range for the subsidy? They won't try to deny my eligibility for a subsidy, will they? And the Fidelity statement's 2013 income is not going to be my 2013 AGI (or 2014 AGI), either.

The rules say income must be verified as a prerequisite to subsidy eligibility. For most people with W-2 income that means looking at the 2012 tax return. In your case, they have chosen to look at your actual 2013 investment income. If you feel your 2014 income will be different you must show them why in a way that can be documented.

 

[golfnut]

We actually had a HC agent come over to our house to go thru the Health Gov. site and enroll. We kept getting kicked into Medicaid and can't figure out how to get out of it since our family income exceeds the Medicaid threshold in Illinois. We talked to a health gov. customer service agent (who, quite candidly, was useless). She kept telling us we need to contact the Medicaid office. We attempted that but you need a Medicaid case no. to actually talk to a human being.

Anyone have any suggestions here? We also note the " Life Change" option in the ACA site was not operational at the time.

In the meantime, we have coverage thru my former employer, but since it is very expensive, I want to exploring enrolling in an ACA plan in early 2014.