ACA Enrollment Questions

[reubenray]

I have posted the following questions on other ACA threads, but I have not received any definite answers so decided to try here.

1) What does "multi-state" mean? We travel a lot out of state in our motorhome, but only have one home address.

2) When I first enrolled for my wife and myself it was showing me quotes for the two of us. Now it only shows one quote for myself, even though it shows us both on the applications. What happens if I proceed only with my quote to the end of the enrollment? Will it then show me her quotes?

I don't want to make the mistake of only signing up for myself only. Some responses has been to just make a new application. Before I could not do that without setting up a completely new account. This morning (I check early each morning) it now gives an option to delete the approved application and start another one.

 

[MichaelB]

1) What does "multi-state" mean? We travel a lot out of state in our motorhome, but only have one home address.

Lots of discussions about the need for national healthcare coverage and multi-state plans. Here are a couple of links that may help, many other helpful posts throughout the active healthcare threads.

http://www.early-retirement.org/forums/f38/multi-state-plans-pros-and-cons-69001.html
http://www.early-retirement.org/forums/f38/yet-another-health-insurance-shopper-68609.html

Multi-state plans home page Multi-State Plan Program and the Health Insurance Marketplace
FAQ OPM Multi-State Plan Program Fact Sheet
Excellent summary white paper http://www.healthreformgps.org/wp-c...ation_A80A0AAA-5056-9D20-3D25B59C65680B79.pdf

 

[aja8888]

This morning (I check early each morning) it now gives an option to delete the approved application and start another one.

This is the first time I have seen mention of this option. We are going to re-try a new account for our single daughter that is approved but we think has a mistake in it (other thread). At what point in your process were you given this option, may I ask?

 

[reubenray]

This is the first time I have seen mention of this option. We are going to re-try a new account for our single daughter that is approved but we think has a mistake in it (other thread). At what point in your process were you given this option, may I ask?

It came up right after I logged in where it shows the application number and was right below the application number.

 

[aja8888]

It came up right after I logged in where it shows the application number and was right below the application number.

Thanks!

I see a "Remove" button below and to the right of the application number. Is this what you hit to delete the existing application? (asking this to be clear because there is no going back)

 

[MRG]

Yep, you're now given an option to remove applications. Did it, went through enrollment again, now I see plans with cost sharing.

There still appears to be an issue with my newest application(big orange box), but the site says my next step is to enroll. I might call the 800 number, but I need patience to deal with those fine folks.

MRG

 

[MRG]

Thanks!

I see a "Remove" button below and to the right of the application number. Is this what you hit to delete the existing application? (asking this to be clear because there is no going back)

Yes that's what I just did.

Best wishes,
MRG

 

[bamsphd]

I used the new "Remove" button today as well. The good news is that I kept my login, password, email address, contact information, and my previous verification of identity carried over.

Unfortunately, I still seem to be stuck at "Create new group" under the "Recommended health plan groups" step so that my wife and I can be on separate plans instead of a family plan. For the past week that step has been generating an error message quickly.

This morning with the old application I was instead blocked by a "Please wait" busy popup. When a "Your session is about to expire" popup appeared, I let the session time out. Then logged in and removed my application.

After eating breakfast I started a "new" application. Today's "new" application did require entering yet again who was going to be covered including names, birthdates, SS numbers, address, and ethnicity information. I once again made it past tobacco usage, then got stuck at the "Please wait" busy popup when I tried to "Create new group." I've now told the "Your session is about to expire" popup to extend my session for 30 minutes three times. I'm just about ready to give up for today.

 

[reubenray]

Great on the new "remove" button. I will try it early tomorrow morning when there is less traffic. I am always up around 5 AM.

 

[reubenray]

The plans that I have been looking all are BCBS and are "multi-state" plans, so I will stick with one of them.

I still need to know the procedure for agreeing and proceeding with a policy that has the quote for only myself. Will the DW's option come up after that? Again I don't want to agree to something then find out it was for only me.

 

[bamsphd]

I once again made it past tobacco usage, then got stuck at the "Please wait" busy popup when I tried to "Create new group." I've now told the "Your session is about to expire" popup to extend my session for 30 minutes three times. I'm just about ready to give up for today.

Tried again today, then spent some time with the nice lady on the 800 number. The answer given was that it is a technical issue. I will have to wait until it is fixed. So try again periodically during off-peak times.

So if/when any other married couple manages to get two individual policies under one application via the exchange, I would like to know about it.

 

[Malcolm2]

Yet more security concerns...

No security ever built into Obamacare site: Hacker

 

[reubenray]

I went through the process of removing my original application and started a new one. This time it kept the DW and myself in a group. I went all the way through and enrolled into the health plan we choose plus picked up a dental plan. The dental plan was a surprise for us. My new premium including the dental will be $166 cheaper each month and we have better insurance coverage.

Of course I could not pay for anything being there is no way to pay yet. There was a notice that the "plan" will contact us in a few days.

 

[steelhead]

I noticed this footnote in an Anthem Blue Cross California brochure describing the plans certified by Covered CA.

Multi-State Plans are overseen by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and are similar to the other Qualified Health Plan products offered on the exchanges. Generally, all of the same requirements that apply to other products also apply to these Multi-State Plan products. The name “Multi-State Plan” does NOT mean that consumers have health plan
coverage for non-urgent care in multiple states.

Emphasis is mine.

 

[bamsphd]

The saga continues as I keep attempting to "Create new group" under the "Recommended health plan groups" step so that my wife and I can be on separate plans instead of a family plan.

For the week of Thanksgiving, that step was quickly generating the error message:

There's no eligible plan. Please try again. If you continue getting this message, call the Marketplace Call Center at 1-800-318-2596. TTY users should call 1-855-889-4325.

Error ID:500.301524

Starting December 1st, 2013 instead I was blocked by a "Please wait" busy popup. No matter how many times I extended the session when "Your session is about to expire" popups appeared the application did not go anywhere. I've been checking daily, and seeing the same behavior.

Today instead I'm quickly getting the error message:

Sorry, an error has occurred. Please try again. If that doesn't work, log out and wait 30 minutes then try again.

Error ID:500.301524

I tried removing my application, waiting more than 30 minutes, then starting over, but I am still getting the same error message.

So as I continue tilting at healthcare.gov windmills, I'll also repeat my request.

if/when any other married couple manages to get two individual policies under one application via the exchange, I would like to know about it.

 

[reubenray]

Being I have not been contacted yet I will call them on Monday (fingers crossed).

 

[bamsphd]

The saga continues as I keep attempting to "Create new group" under the "Recommended health plan groups" step so that my wife and I can be on separate plans instead of a family plan.

This morning I still could not separate us into two groups, so I gave up and decided to just get a family plan. In the process of downloading the updated versions of documents such as the summary plan description, I found that the documentation now indicates both individual and family deductibles and out-of-pocket maximums. Previously the plan I wanted showed only a FAMILY deductible and a FAMILY out-of-pocket maximum, which is why I wanted two individual plans so that we would have lower individual deductibles.

I don't know if I entirely trust the updated summary plan description, but once I accepted the default grouping enrollment was trivial.

Now I just have to keep my fingers crossed that the back-end works, and my new insurance company bills me!

 

[audreyh1]

On billing - once you have your group and member ID from your insurer you may be able to register online and pay online.

 

[reubenray]

I called BCBSLA and was told where to send my initial payment. They would then send me the cards, etc. They apparently had the info being she knew what the cost was after I gave her the application ID number.

I picked Humana for the dental and they sent me an email telling me how to register and setup my payment plan.

 

[Fargus]

The saga continues as I keep attempting to "Create new group" under the "Recommended health plan groups" step so that my wife and I can be on separate plans instead of a family plan.

For the week of Thanksgiving, that step was quickly generating the error message:

Starting December 1st, 2013 instead I was blocked by a "Please wait" busy popup. No matter how many times I extended the session when "Your session is about to expire" popups appeared the application did not go anywhere. I've been checking daily, and seeing the same behavior.

Today instead I'm quickly getting the error message:

I tried removing my application, waiting more than 30 minutes, then starting over, but I am still getting the same error message.

So as I continue tilting at healthcare.gov windmills, I'll also repeat my request.

Exact same error code and section of the site for me. Also deleted the profile, recreated, used different browsers and incognito sessions, and so on, to no avail. Only difference is that I was trying to combine groups rather than create a new one. So it seems that the ability to change groups is all together broken. Worse, asking a rep to help fix it was useless, as they get the same error. I had a supervisor create a ticket for their support team, and she claimed they ar knocking out errors rapidly, but I'm not holding my breath.

As the only way to get the credit/subsidy is to apply through the govt (can't do it through your insurance company), I'm stuck because the credits aren't applied properly unless I can combine my family into one group.

Please post if you make any progress on this issue, and I'll do the same.

 

[Mike R]

Exact same error code and section of the site for me. Also deleted the profile, recreated, used different browsers and incognito sessions, and so on, to no avail. Only difference is that I was trying to combine groups rather than create a new one. So it seems that the ability to change groups is all together broken. Worse, asking a rep to help fix it was useless, as they get the same error. I had a supervisor create a ticket for their support team, and she claimed they ar knocking out errors rapidly, but I'm not holding my breath.

As the only way to get the credit/subsidy is to apply through the govt (can't do it through your insurance company), I'm stuck because the credits aren't applied properly unless I can combine my family into one group.

Please post if you make any progress on this issue, and I'll do the same.

Fargus,

I've had the same exact problem. I'm trying to combine my family members into one group. I've deleted and completed 8 applications. We have a very "nuclear" family (two parents, two biological children, same address, same last name, joint tax return, etc.). But, for some reason, it's grouping us into three groups (Group 1 for one daughter, Group 2 for our other daughter, and Group 3 for me and my wife). No one can seem to fix this.

We've logged 20-30 calls into Healthcare.gov. I've called Health & Human services (federal and state), I've called a Navigator, I've called Blue Cross, and I've called a private insurance broker. No luck. I was finally transferred to a "supervisor" at Hcare.gov today, but she was unable to combine our groups, either.

If you find a solution, please keep me posted. The enrollment deadline is 7 days away.

 

[animalmonday]

Hi--I'm just a lurker, but I had the same problem and figured out the issue with the help of an astute representative. The error code 500.301524 means there is no health insurance plan available for at least one member of the separate groups you are trying to create. What that means "in English" is that the individual is ineligible for the Marketplace on their own--in other words, had they applied separately and not jointly, they would have made either not enough or too much income to be eligible to enroll through the marketplace. In my case, my husband would have been shoved into the Medicaid expansion group on his own, so I am "carrying" him by having him apply and enroll with me--so just like for insurance I might purchase through an employer, he MUST be on my plan, and can't purchase a different plan from me. I also can imagine that the alternative also exists--if any of you are "carrying" someone else with less income than you, and because of that, qualify to purchase insurance through the marketplace with a subsidy, by creating a new group with just you yourself in it, your income may be too high to qualify to enroll through the marketplace and/or receive a subsidy on your own (without the lower income person to pull you down further into the subsidy group). Going back and changing your income tax filing to "separate" instead of joint won't solve the problem either, because they'll just shove you into whatever unsubsidized group you belong in (either Medicaid if you're poor or no subsidy at all if your wealthier), and only give a subsidy and enrollment ability to the spouse who qualifies on their own. Hope this clarifies.

 

[Mike R]

Thanks animalmonday. After several more online applications, including one completed by an "Advanced Resolution Specialist" at Healthcare.gov, we have given up. No one seems to be able to combine my family members into one group. The Specialist at Healthcare.gov recommended that we enroll in separate plans, and then file an appeal (which takes 90 days). My wife found something online which is similar to what you posted. She found something that indicated that Healthcare.gov may incorrectly think that our children are eligible for Montana's CHIP program (i.e. the State's low-cost insurance for needy children). As such, Healthcare.gov may have put each of them into a separate "group." But, on a combined basis, our income is too high for the CHIP/Medicaid programs, but it is low enough to qualify for a Healthcare.gov subsidy. So, it seems as though Healthcare.gov is looking at their income (which is $0, since they are young kids) and putting them into a separate group. Either way, we finally gave up and enrolled in three separate plans. Ugh.

 

[Sue J]

Thanks for de-lurking to explain that. I hadn't read that anywhere before and in a convoluted bureaucratic way it sort of makes sense.

I'm hoping that in the ongoing evolution of ObamaCare some of these issues are cleared up. Some aspects of all this are favorable to married folks and some are not.

 

[MichaelB]

Thanks for de-lurking to explain that. I hadn't read that anywhere before and in a convoluted bureaucratic way it sort of makes sense.

I'm hoping that in the ongoing evolution of ObamaCare some of these issues are cleared up. Some aspects of all this are favorable to married folks and some are not.

+1 The explanation makes a lot of sense. Thanks for sharing it.