Were you successful in the ACA signup

[Texas Proud]

BCBSTX is all screwed up again. After I went through a lot of drama to confirm my enrollment, my first two premium payments went through like a breeze and I quickly saw them posted to my account. On February 25 I paid the March premium online through my checking account. It's still not posted. I've sent messages to them and got a call from someone there (again using social media to bypass the phone hell) ensuring me that yes, they have record of my March payment. But still with no confirmation on my statement or account records online, I don't have a very warm fuzzy.

It seems that a bunch of people like me decided to sign up later... for some reason they picked Mar 3rd as a date where they started to do things different... I can go online and see my 'status'.... but if you call it is over an hour before you get someone (at least that is what they say)...

I did call on Sat and talked to someone and was told my application was on 'hold'... could not explain what that meant nor why it was there... but, today it has been processed!!! It now says about 6 days before getting our cards and THEN I make a payment....


SOOOOOO, I think I have finally signed up.... but still not sure....

 

[MichaelB]

Thanks, no explicit mention of early retirement but presumably #12, COBRA qualifying event, would be applicable.

They did omit early retirement, but if you had employer coverage and lose it because you quit or retire that is a qualifying event and you can get coverage outside of the open enrollment period.

For those of you that have successfully signed up have you actually used the insurance yet? If so was the process at the Doctor office, hospital, etc basically the same as in the past or is there a new "attitude" at the actual treatment site?

You may find some helpful responses in this thread http://www.early-retirement.org/forums/f38/aca-early-retirement-how-is-it-working-for-you-71073.html

BCBSTX is all screwed up again. After I went through a lot of drama to confirm my enrollment, my first two premium payments went through like a breeze and I quickly saw them posted to my account. On February 25 I paid the March premium online through my checking account. It's still not posted. I've sent messages to them and got a call from someone there (again using social media to bypass the phone hell) ensuring me that yes, they have record of my March payment. But still with no confirmation on my statement or account records online, I don't have a very warm fuzzy.

We had issues with the March payment that took a couple of weeks to resolve, and in the meantime they called us 14 times with a robo-call about overdue payment.

The LA Times ran an article (here) that references a Rand study, including this

• About 9 million people have bought health plans directly from insurers, instead of using the marketplaces, Rand found. The vast majority of these people were previously insured.

This is the first hard estimate I've seen, and if it is correct it would explain many of the responsiveness and administrative issues we are seeing with the insurers.

 

[imoldernu]

If you missed the sign-up... per the "honor system" you get a second chance.

here...
My Way News - Missed the health care deadline? It's not too late

 

[MBSC]

For those of you that have successfully signed up have you actually used the insurance yet? If so was the process at the Doctor office, hospital, etc basically the same as in the past or is there a new "attitude" at the actual treatment site?

My ID card contains a 'Plan Code' but does not indicate if I purchased the private health plan through the new marketplace website, directly from the insurance company, or from an insurance agent.

My new card's 'Plan Code' is the same as what's on my old card from my former employer's group plan. Both are from the same insurer with the same provider network.

 

[Rosie]

For those of you that have successfully signed up have you actually used the insurance yet? If so was the process at the Doctor office, hospital, etc basically the same as in the past or is there a new "attitude" at the actual treatment site?

Yes, I am signed up for insurance through my state exchange.

I have the same insurance provider now as I had last year (pre-ACA), Kaiser Permanente.

I recently saw my primary care physician (same physician pre-ACA) for a routine physical exam. The process, attitudes, etc. were precisely the same as pre-ACA. No distinction whatsoever.

 

[ejman]

I do not qualify for any tax breaks (cursed with too much income) so I set up a plan directly with an insurer for a Bronze plan in Oregon ( Moda Health) since the insurance is about the same cost as my previous plan for better coverage ($6,250 deductible/max out of pocket on the Bronze plan vs $10,000 deductible + $6,000 out of pocket on my pre ACA plan with Health Net). The first two months payment went thru without a hitch. I tried to pay this month and apparently their software (Moda Health's) went haywire an I was no longer able to make a payment online. I guess computer glitches also happen (horrors!) even without the gummint getting their sticky fingers into things.

 

[Brat]

Another Oregon resident here: my nephew and his wife signed up with Moda Health under ACA. They choose the modest plan because they are young and healthy. Low and behold he is having issues and they have maxed their deductible already.

I am a Federal retiree who has used their health plans since day one. Because of ACA Kaiser's Medicare Senior Advantage plan was open until March 31. Back in the day we had been Kaiser subscribers so I know how it works. I signed us up for Kaiser and will suspend our Federal health insurance subscription. One of our issues was our dentist. We got the feeling that we are a cash cow. We had Kaiser dental before so I know that they will recommend what is needed, not what is interesting for the dentist. For now I will keep GEHA dental because the work our now former dentist recommended to my husband may really need to be done. We shall see. The extended enrollment period was a blessing.

 

[bamsphd]

I've now been successful TWICE. HealthCare.gov and Anthem (Blue Cross) have both definitely improved, though HealthCare.gov still has some issues.

I started trying to signup for myself and my wife back in October, and ultimately completed the HealthCare.gov portion a few days before the December 15th deadline so that it would be effective January 1st, 2014.

Then my problems switched to Anthem, who's first payment page did not work, who did not promptly send me a bill, who eventually took my credit card information over the phone after an hour plus wait, who's website always generated an error when I tried to print a temporary ID card even following telephone instructions after another hour on hold, and who finally sent me permanent ID cards about three weeks after getting my money and officially starting my coverage.

However, since then Anthem has paid for my annual physical, and I have not had any issues paying my premiums.

Sunday March 30th I ended up being the typist/guide for my sister-in-law and her spouse who had procrastinated until the end of March and managed to get themselves very tangled with HealthCare.gov both the website and the telephone registration option. They started on the government website but entered a typo in his address. That threw everything off, and both the website and the telephone representative were unable to correct the typo. They also were too literal about the "same income as in 2012" and got bogged down trying to justify a low income for this guy with no valid mailing address. Even though their best guess was only about $1,000 different from their 2012 income. A classic case of garbage in, garbage out. Though HealthCare.gov should still be embarrassed they were unable to correct his mailing address.

I ended up using a new email alias, created a new HealthCare.gov login, and made it through the website and signed them up for a family plan in about an hour. The website felt much faster and smoother than when I used in back in December. They paid their first premium using the link from HealthCare.gov to Anthem and received their insurance cards in the mail on April 7th for insurance which should become effective on May 1st.

My house was transitioning from COBRA to the exchange. I'll know next year when I do my taxes if we will get any premium subsidy. However, my sister-in-law and her spouse had been living without any insurance at all, and only the premium subsidy and cost-sharing provisions made it possible now.

 

[Brat]

I helped my 27 yo nephew and his bride sign up for health care under ACA, they enrolled and paid about 2 months premiums. Today he was diagnosed with colon cancer.

 

[MichaelB]

I helped my 27 yo nephew and his bride sign up for health care under ACA, they enrolled and paid about 2 months premiums. Today he was diagnosed with colon cancer.

Hope he is successful battling this.

 

[Brat]

I just found out that the tumor is 8 cm. AWFUL!

 

[pb4uski]

Wow. That's awful. But it would be a lot more awful if you hadn't helped them sign up for health insurance. Best of luck to him and his bride (and you).

 

[Brat]

The family is devastated.

He evidently had been not well for 3 months but had been postponing dealing with it in the belief it would self resolve. MEN!!!

The saving grace, if there is one, is that his mother is a Nurse Practitioner at a large teaching hospital and during her work life has worked with cancer patients.

He recently married a very bright, delightful, gal of Mexican nationality. I hope, if he passes away, INS will not 'ship her' to Mexico. She has a 'green card' and is working with our local school district as a teaching assistant (she was a teacher in Mexico) and translator. That gal is a keeper!

 

[pb4uski]

Don't get too far ahead. My recollection is that colon cancer survival rates are pretty good depending on what state the first diagnosis is made. Be positive.

 

[audreyh1]

The family is devastated.

He evidently had been not well for 3 months but had been postponing dealing with it in the belief it would self resolve. MEN!!!

The saving grace, if there is one, is that his mother is a Nurse Practitioner at a large teaching hospital and during her work life has worked with cancer patients.

He recently married a very bright, delightful, gal of Mexican nationality. I hope, if he passes away, INS will not 'ship her' to Mexico. She has a 'green card' and is working with our local school district as a teaching assistant (she was a teacher in Mexico) and translator. That gal is a keeper!

If she already has a green card, she's a legal US resident and her marital status won't affect that.

 

[scrabbler1]

Just when I thought it was safe........

I got a letter from the NY Marketplace the other day. They still want me to send them information about my income to determine eligibility for HI through the NY Exchange. What I sent them in December and January when I was applying and updating my application was an annual statement from my brokerage company which included on the first page the total amount of dividend and cap gains income for 2013.

Apparently, the dingbats in the NY Marketplace's office have not found this sufficient and are looking for documentation of my income from several categories, none of which apply to me. They include employment income (I have not worked for 5 years, I am an early retiree as you all know), rental income (I own no property other than my primary residence), unemployment insurance (I was never eligible for that), and SS benefits (I am also ineligible for any of that). Apparently, I don't fit into any of their convenient "boxes" because I am living solely off my investment income, something I tried to explain to them when I submitted the aforementioned annual statement.

I am not seeking any federal subsidy to be applied to my monthly premium. I will resolve that when I file my 2014 federal income tax return next April. The letter has a toll-free number to call them, something I will do tomorrow. They better not put me on hold for any extended length of time. With all the hoopla around the first few months of trying to sign up having died down, I do not expect any long wait now. But I find it fascinating (and annoying) that sending them an annual statement showing them my investment income was somehow "insufficient" because it did not fall into any of their categories of income, and it was not possible for someone to live solely off his investment income.

Has anyone else here received a letter from the NY Marketplace looking for documentation of income even though you have none fitting into their categories of income?

 

[pb4uski]

If you're not looking for a credit to premium, what do they need to verify income for? Can't any citizen buy an individual insurance policy if they want to? Unless they are looking to verify that you earn too much to be on Medicaid.

Beyond that, I don't understand why it wouldn't just be a matter between you and the IRS because the O-MAGI and subsidy will all be part of your 2014 tax return.

That said, if there is a valid reason that they need income verification, perhaps you can give them page 1 of your 2013 Form 1040 and redact your TIN.

 

[pb4uski]

Update on our ACA for the forum. We are currently covered by an exchange issued non-subsidy HDHI plan that costs about the same as what we paid the last couple years before ACA (after considering that our pre-ACA premiums would likely have gone up each year anyway).

Since November I have been trying to buy a catastrophic policy even though we are over 40 because our previous health insurance was cancelled by ACA. The cat policy has broadly similar benefits as our current/past HDHI plans but the premium is 35-40% lower. The typical healthcare.gov process is that if your insurance was cancelled you can buy apply for a cat policy from an insurer and at the same time apply for an exemption and provide a copy of your cancellation letter since anyone whose plan was cancelled should be exempt. However, our state exchange does not allow buying any individual HI policy directly from an insurer and they insist on my getting an exemption certificate from the feds before I can buy a cat policy from them. But the feds are not processing exemption applications so in effect, I can't currently buy a cat policy.

I have had discussions with management in our state exchange and insurance department to no avail - I get sympathy but nothing happens.

So last week I wrote to our governor and cc'd our county/local reps and the leader of the exchange. I did get an email back from our local rep (who I happen to know) that she is chasing down a solution with the exchange - so stay tuned.

 

[scrabbler1]

If you're not looking for a credit to premium, what do they need to verify income for? Can't any citizen buy an individual insurance policy if they want to? Unless they are looking to verify that you earn too much to be on Medicaid.

Beyond that, I don't understand why it wouldn't just be a matter between you and the IRS because the O-MAGI and subsidy will all be part of your 2014 tax return.

That said, if there is a valid reason that they need income verification, perhaps you can give them page 1 of your 2013 Form 1040 and redact your TIN.

I agree with everything you wrote, as we have crossed paths on my issue before. As to giving them the first page of my 2013 federal income tax return, that item is not even on their list of acceptable documents to send them!

I will surely ask them these questions when I speak to them.

 

[MichaelB]

J
Has anyone else here received a letter from the NY Marketplace looking for documentation of income even though you have none fitting into their categories of income?

My guess - the exchange is attempting to be a "single door" to all health care programs, and income verification is used automatically to assign the applicant to either Medicaid or an ACA policy. The absence of verifiable income is prompting the system to default to Medicaid, the exchange personnel can authorize an exception but it needs to be reconfirmed every 3-4 months. There should be no risk of policy loss, but it is a hassle.

 

[gardenfun]

Scrabbler, I'm in CA and based on the income data I submitted when I applied last year, I have been getting subsidies. Early on, I received a letter from Covered California asking me about the source of the "lump sum" income I had claimed. That lump sum was my estimate of how much I would be withdrawing from my IRA's annually to supplement my parttime income and small pension. As others have mentioned in this and other threads, the designers of the various ACA websites didn't seem to be aware of the fact that retirees under the age of 65 might be applying for coverage, and so they didn't provide an income option relating to retirement fund withdrawal.
Two weeks ago, I got another letter from Covered CA asking for more documentation of income. The letter said "Congratulations, you've been approved for coverage for 90 days." huh? Well, I sent them my 2013 income tax return. We'll see what they come back with.
I too do not want to spend more hours on the phone with them. So I figure they have my tax return--the ball's in their court.

 

[scrabbler1]

If you're not looking for a credit to premium, what do they need to verify income for? Can't any citizen buy an individual insurance policy if they want to? Unless they are looking to verify that you earn too much to be on Medicaid.

Beyond that, I don't understand why it wouldn't just be a matter between you and the IRS because the O-MAGI and subsidy will all be part of your 2014 tax return.

That said, if there is a valid reason that they need income verification, perhaps you can give them page 1 of your 2013 Form 1040 and redact your TIN.

I just spoke to them this morning (wait time=zero, a good thing ) and the guy told me to scan and upload a copy of my 2013 federal income tax return (form 1040A in my case) and that would be fine. My ladyfriend has a scanner but I won't be at her place again until tomorrow night. They can wait a few days.

 

[LongPrime]

Oregon resident here. Oregon was setting up its own program integrated into a bunch of other entitlement programs. FUBAR, by incompetent state career managers who had no comprehension of the task. Didn't help when ORACLE didn't pushback too hard and agreed to the task without understanding of the integration problems. A typical LE move, and typical of all sales proposals-over sell, over promise and get the purchasing authority so bamboozled that they never knew what was happening.

I had a preexisting health condition that no insurer wanted after I got laid off. So I had to go unto state's assigned risk pool which was 80/20, $1500 deductible, no choices, take it or leave it. The premiums was killing me. ACA cut the premiums in half, although I have a bronze plan now, 60/40, $3000/$5000 deductible (?). Never made the deductibles in any year, except the year when I had prostate surgery.

 

[pb4uski]

I just spoke to them this morning (wait time=zero, a good thing ) and the guy told me to scan and upload a copy of my 2013 federal income tax return (form 1040A in my case) and that would be fine. My ladyfriend has a scanner but I won't be at her place again until tomorrow night. They can wait a few days.

Did he explain why they needed it even to begin with since you aren't applying for subsidies?

 

[scrabbler1]

Did he explain why they needed it even to begin with since you aren't applying for subsidies?

I asked the guy that question but got a vague, "To remain eligible to buy a plan through the NY Marketplace...." boilerplate response. I did not press him on it because it seemed fruitless.