As the healthcare.gov folks labor to make their website functional, there are some parts of the "plan selection process" that can be done elsewhere. Premium is not the only thing that matters, network scope is a critical component for us (DW & I) and we still have to choose among all the cost sharing alternatives.
Using the widget that shows the plans available in my county (here) (hat tip REWahoo) I was able to make a list of all the plans offering coverage, which totals 7 insurers and over 130 "plans". Not really that many, as they count one plan with four cost share options as four different plans. Still, even knowing the prices, there remains a lot of work to narrow down that list, and I have been able to make progress here. After researching them, two of the insurers do not have the network reach we expect, another I've never heard of, so no need to see any more from these. About half the plans are offered by one insurer, Blue Cross Blue Shield, and they are providing detailed quotes and specific plan information directly on their website. Their plans include three different network options, so I was able to exclude two, then build a spreadsheet with the premiums, coverage variations and cost share for the remaining options. This I was able to narrow to three choices, ranked. This is my fallback.
Not final yet, as I still would like to see plans from two national insurers who have no details on their websites. When they do, however, I already have the template to compare them and have made a default choice. If I need to deal directly with BCBS, another insurer, or a navigator, I know exactly how to direct the conversation to what we need.
Wondering if anyone else has a helpful hint on other steps we can take while we wait.
Using the widget that shows the plans available in my county (here) (hat tip REWahoo) I was able to make a list of all the plans offering coverage, which totals 7 insurers and over 130 "plans". Not really that many, as they count one plan with four cost share options as four different plans. Still, even knowing the prices, there remains a lot of work to narrow down that list, and I have been able to make progress here. After researching them, two of the insurers do not have the network reach we expect, another I've never heard of, so no need to see any more from these. About half the plans are offered by one insurer, Blue Cross Blue Shield, and they are providing detailed quotes and specific plan information directly on their website. Their plans include three different network options, so I was able to exclude two, then build a spreadsheet with the premiums, coverage variations and cost share for the remaining options. This I was able to narrow to three choices, ranked. This is my fallback.
Not final yet, as I still would like to see plans from two national insurers who have no details on their websites. When they do, however, I already have the template to compare them and have made a default choice. If I need to deal directly with BCBS, another insurer, or a navigator, I know exactly how to direct the conversation to what we need.
Wondering if anyone else has a helpful hint on other steps we can take while we wait.
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