Applying for ACA 2017 Coverage

[easysurfer]

Thought I'd get the ball rolling so I signed into Healthcare.gov figuring should be pretty fast as looks like I'll have just one choice of coverage this year. But worth looking and comparing anyhow to see if there are alternatives.

Well, not so fast..as after submitting the application (same like last year, not entering my estimated income but will let any premium credit get calculated at tax filing time), I get the spinning ball, please wait.... Been spinning for about 30 minutes now.

Maybe I should have waited a few days or a week when there is less traffic.

Update: Okay, after about 40 minutes, got logged off automatically, then received an email saying my application accepted and I can pick my plan. Slow, but working, at least so far.

 

[RockyMtn]

I was able to search plans but did not try and sign up for anything. Good news is that even though we have only one option here 6 of GF's 7 Dr's are on the plan. Told her she better call #7 and see what the heck is going on!

Her silver plan price before subsidy (2 to choose from) went up about 80% over last year! But her subsidy went up 300% over last year!!! Net/Net out of pocket is going way down.

 

[InTheSticks]

I got further, past the estimated income questions, but it is making me wait before I get any employer insurance questions.

 

[zinger1457]

Her silver plan price before subsidy (2 to choose from) went up about 80% over last year! But her subsidy went up 300% over last year!!! Net/Net out of pocket is going way down.

That's exactly what I'm seeing for my new plans.

 

[ShokWaveRider]

Shows how many folks are using and need it. Same happened to me. I use an agent as they have a direct system into the insurer and it does not cost a penny more. I checked on that.

 

[ivinsfan]

On a related note, MN Sure has had their phone lines and website virtually down since 6 AM. Many people are rushing because of the new enrollment caps that we put in place about 60 days ago.
Due to these new developments we decided to simply continue having our business pay for the small group plan so we could keep our BCBS PPO. MnSure would be cheaper but the default BCBS HMO in our area. Limits us to one small town hospital.

 

[Blueskies123]

You might want to wait a week. You and 5 million other people are logging on

 

[ivinsfan]

Can't do that in MN very limited enrollment on all but one HMO plan, it's Lords of the Flies health insurance style. I have to admit I never thought I'd see those words in the same sentence.

 

[GTFan]

The way they've run things for 2017 enrollment is disgusting and should probably be against the law. There's just no excuse for conducting a health insurance lottery where only the lucky get coverage.

 

[ivinsfan]

Yes GTF, I don't see the limited enrollment idea spreading and I don't know if it's legal either, but that doesn't help the innocent people stuck in this years mess.

 

[reubenray]

I went all the way through around 7 AM this morning. I plan on waiting for my renewal notice from BCBSAL before proceeding.

 

[RunningBum]

I got blocked from getting in to actually apply, which I wasn't going to do anyway since I go through an agent (who used to occasionally post here, btw). I was able to verify the final plans, and do see a bronze HSA plan $17 more than the lowest bronze. Seems worthwhile for the tax break. 15% of $4400 is worth $660 so that alone is worth the $204 premium increase, plus it's a slightly better plan in term of max OOP and co-pay. The co-pay is kind of laughable though, as there's just a small window between deductible and max OOP to use it.


I was also able to verify that my GP and sports docs are both on this plan. They showed up early on, but one or both disappeared for awhile as Nov 1 approached, for some reason.

 

[SecondCor521]

What's the deal with enrollment caps? Who is imposing them and what is their stated reasoning?

 

[ivinsfan]

What's the deal with enrollment caps? Who is imposing them and what is their stated reasoning?

BCBS dumped over 100K individual policies in June effective Jan 1..the other large insurers threatened to leave the market too, if they were forced to take the BCBS customers. Caps were placed and the end result is most of the 100K who were dumped will be forced to enter the BCBS HMO policys which (HAHA) have no caps..me thinks this was BCBS plan from the beginning as in fact they will have about the same amount of customers in a much narrower network where they more control.Good for everyone but the consumer but what else is new?

 

[wmc1000]

went in this morning around 8:30 eastern time and breezed all the way through quickly. Got all finished except I am waiting to actually click enroll. Total time took approximately 15 mins.

 

[SecondCor521]

BCBS dumped over 100K individual policies in June effective Jan 1..the other large insurers threatened to leave the market too, if they were forced to take the BCBS customers. Caps were placed and the end result is most of the 100K who were dumped will be forced to enter the BCBS HMO policys which (HAHA) have no caps..me thinks this was BCBS plan from the beginning as in fact they will have about the same amount of customers in a much narrower network where they more control.Good for everyone but the consumer but what else is new?

Huh. Does the state have an insurance commissioner or regulator? Seems like that person should be on the hook for looking out for consumers in this scenario.

 

[ivinsfan]

Huh. Does the state have an insurance commissioner or regulator? Seems like that person should be on the hook for looking out for consumers in this scenario.

Yes, he is the "gentleman" that signed off on the caps...

 

[Taxman59]

Just signed up with BCBSNC. Premium down 30% but OOP goes from $1400 to $11600 for the family. I asked the agent (I was kicked off the website since they couldn't verify my identity for the second year in a row), and she couldn't explain it other than to say 2016 income was a bit lower (reported $35000 in 2016 and expect $45000 in 2017). All of the additional income is from Roth conversions, so I guess I could lower it a bit, but It is hard to turn down the lower income tax rates. Overall, Monthly I will be happy, but I will try to bump my knee surgery up to December (using the lower OOP will save almost $11K ).

 

[Live And Learn]

Wow. I didn't budget for subsidies but looking at this thread I think I will need to do some serious income planning / deferring so that I will qualify for a subsidy. This was pretty eye opening

 

[SecondCor521]

Yes, he is the "gentleman" that signed off on the caps...

I read up a little on this. Sounds like a moderately dysfunctional situation, and I feel badly for those who live in MN.

 

[RunningBum]

Just signed up with BCBSNC. Premium down 30% but OOP goes from $1400 to $11600 for the family. I asked the agent (I was kicked off the website since they couldn't verify my identity for the second year in a row), and she couldn't explain it other than to say 2016 income was a bit lower (reported $35000 in 2016 and expect $45000 in 2017). All of the additional income is from Roth conversions, so I guess I could lower it a bit, but It is hard to turn down the lower income tax rates. Overall, Monthly I will be happy, but I will try to bump my knee surgery up to December (using the lower OOP will save almost $11K ).

Sounds like you got a totally different policy. That would explain the very different rate and max OOP. Or you were able to get a cost sharing reduction based on 250% income level or lower. It may be worth looking into keeping your level below that if it will keep the OOP considerably lower.

 

[ivinsfan]

I read up a little on this. Sounds like a moderately dysfunctional situation, and I feel badly for those who live in MN.

Will it stop in this state and not spread, in my mind this means the insurance companies realize they carry a pretty big stick...no soup for you, no soup for anybody...

 

[NW-Bound]

Where I am, we are down to a single carrier who offers 1 Bronze, 2 Silver, and 1 Gold plans. All are HMO's. Premium is more than $2K/month for a Silver plan.

None has my current PCP in the provider list. I thought the database is not up-to-date, but it looks like it is.

I looked for off-exchange plans. Nope, eHealthInsurance says there will not be any! All insurers cried "Uncle" and fled the state.

WSJ has a recent article about the sad state of individual health insurance in AZ. In 2015 we had 11 carriers, down to 8 in 2016. Now, there's only one. The article said that too many sick patients caused the insurers to lose beaucoup money. Yes we all know that, but why is it worse here than elsewhere?

Out of curiosity, I looked at a poor rural county in another state (29% use food stamps, low per-capita income, etc...), and it had multiple carriers, multiple plans offered. And the pre-subsidy premium is less than 1/2 of where I am. So, there are more sick people in the middle class than in the rich and poor groups? Or we have some endemic dreadful diseases here? Organ transplant capital of the world?

I want to see some statistics, like rates of cancer, increase in hospital admissions, surgeries, etc... Come on, people in healthcare industry would know when hospital occupancy suddenly shoot up, doctors and nurses working day and night, etc... Maybe healthcare providers are keeping mum making a lot more money with the traffic doubling, and they don't talk.

This is a real conundrum.

 

[SecondCor521]

@ivinsfan, yes, I think the insurance companies are flexing their muscles. I can see why.

In general, I am utterly flabbergasted that there is such variation in everyone's situation - seemingly ridiculously high premiums for some, seemingly ridiculously low premiums for others, with no rhyme or reason. States with multiple insurers and plans across a broad spectrum of prices like ID, others with enrollment caps like MN or severely limited options like AZ.

In my little corner of the world, my subsidized premium is going from $198.29 to $219.66 per month. An 11% increase, but more importantly only $20 more per month, so not a big deal. My ACA subsidy is going from $394 to $564 per month - a 43% increase.

I have not read this in the news much, but because the ACA subsidies are increasing to cover the increased premiums, I do not see how the federal outlay for the cost of the program can do anything but increase rapidly.

 

[ivinsfan]

Where I am, we are down to a single carrier who offers 1 Bronze, 2 Silver, and 1 Gold plans. All are HMO's. Premium is more than $2K/month for a Silver plan.

None has my current PCP in the provider list. I thought the database is not up-to-date, but it looks like it is.

I looked for off-exchange plans. Nope, eHealthInsurance says there will not be any! All insurers cried "Uncle" and fled the state.

WSJ has a recent article about the sad state of individual health insurance in AZ. In 2015 we had 11 carriers, down to 8 in 2016. Now, there's only one. The article said that too many sick patients caused the insurers to lose beaucoup money. Yes we all know that, but why is it worse here than elsewhere?

Out of curiosity, I looked at a poor rural county in another state (29% use food stamps, low per-capita income, etc...), and it had multiple carriers, multiple plans offered. And the pre-subsidy premium is less than 1/2 of where I am. So, there are more sick people in the middle class than in the rich and poor groups? Or we have some endemic dreadful diseases here? Organ transplant capital of the world?

I want to see some statistics, like rates of cancer, increase in hospital admissions, surgeries, etc... Come on, people in healthcare industry would know when hospital occupancy suddenly shoot up, doctors and nurses working day and night, etc... Maybe healthcare providers are keeping mum making a lot more money with the traffic doubling, and they don't talk.

This is a real conundrum.

This scenario playing out in MN, led to the cap situation,but in essence BCBS has just shown all the insurance companies how much the market can be manipulated with very little blowback to the insurers. Look for it to start happening everywhere.