Showing posts with label insurance exchanges. Show all posts
Showing posts with label insurance exchanges. Show all posts

Monday, August 11, 2014

ObamaCare exchange enrollment numbers on the decline...

Some companies are down as much as 30%.

Via IBD:
Aetna's (NYSE:AET) ObamaCare exchange statistics should clear up any doubt as to why the Obama Administration has been tight-lipped about enrollment since celebrating 8 million sign-ups in mid-April.
Reality, evidence suggests, could require quite a come-down from those lofty claims.
The nation's third-largest health insurer had 720,000 people sign up for exchange coverage as of May 20, a spokesman confirmed to IBD. At the end of June, it had fewer than 600,000 paying customers. Aetna expects that to fall to "just over 500,000" by the end of the year.

That would leave Aetna's paid enrollment down as much as 30% from that May sign-up tally.
"I think we will see some attrition ... We're already seeing it. And we expect that to continue through the end of the year," CEO Mark Bertolini said in a July 29 conference call.

Read More Here...

Thursday, May 1, 2014

Data from insurance companis shows only 67% have paid their Obamacare premiums...

This is going to cause a major revision of the number Obama is claiming got covered.
WASHINGTON, DC – Data provided to the committee by every insurance provider in the health care law’s Federally Facilitated Marketplace (FFM) shows that, as of April 15, 2014, only 67 percent of individuals and families that had selected a health plan in the federally facilitated marketplace had paid their first month’s premium and therefore completed the enrollment process. Nationwide, only 25 percent of paid enrollees are ages 18 to 34. The Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations today invited the leaders of some of the nation’s largest insurance providers and their trade groups to testify at a hearing, “PPACA Enrollment and the Insurance Industry,” on Wednesday, May 7, 2014, at 10:15 a.m. in room 2123 Rayburn House Office Building.House Energy and Commerce Committee members sent letters requesting specific enrollment data, including the number of individuals who have paid their first month’s premium and demographic breakdowns. The committee has compiled the data that provides a snapshot of the true enrollment picture as of April 15, 2014, after the official end of the open enrollment period. Due to the administration’s repeated and unilateral extensions and changes, as well as the fact that many insurers have reported that individuals will still have time to pay their first month’s premium, the committee plans to ask the insurers in the federally facilitated marketplace to provide an enrollment update by May 20, 2014. On April 17, 2014, President Obama declared the success of his law, claiming that 8 million Americans had signed up for health insurance, but data from the insurance providers reveals that the president’s figure is largely misleading. As of April 15, 2014, insurers informed the committee that only 2.45 million had paid their first month’s premium for coverage obtained through the federally facilitated marketplace. While the administration has relied on questionable nationwide figures to boast the law’s success, the state-by-state breakdown compiled by the committee underscores the serious problems facing some states.

Monday, April 14, 2014

Did Kentucky just start down the road to ending their Obamacare exchange?

Kentucky has often been touted by Democrats as an Obamacare success story. The truth is most of Kentucky's success has been signing up people for Medicaid. However, the KYConnect exchange website did seem to work. It may be going away now.    

Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear had ten days to veto the General Assembly’s agreement to defund ObamaCare in Kentucky and start a huge fight for today and tomorrow, but he didn’t do it. [...]
At the top of page Page 124 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act it states “No federal funds for continued operations … In establishing an Exchange under this section, the state shall ensure that such Exchange is self-sustaining beginning on January 1, 2015,[...]
The 2014 Kentucky General Assembly refused to ensure that our Exchange will be self-sustaining on January 1, 2015, refused to authorize assessments or user fees and refused to allow spending of any funding generated otherwise. In fact, the budget just passed almost unanimously by both chambers states “The Governor is expressly prohibited from expending any General Fund resources on any expenditure directly or indirectly associated with the Health Benefit Exchange.”

Tuesday, February 4, 2014

Wonderful: U.S. intelligence agencies afraid Obamacare exchange contains foreign malicious software...

If your personal information and identity are stolen from the Obamacare exchange, they won't even tell you. 

Via The Washington Free Beacon
U.S. intelligence agencies last week urged the Obama administration to check its new healthcare network for malicious software after learning that developers linked to the Belarus government helped produce the website, raising fresh concerns that private data posted by millions of Americans will be compromised.
The intelligence agencies notified the Department of Health and Human Services, the agency in charge of the Healthcare.gov network, about their concerns last week. Specifically, officials warned that programmers in Belarus, a former Soviet republic closely allied with Russia, were suspected of inserting malicious code that could be used for cyber attacks, according to U.S. officials familiar with the concerns.
The software links the millions of Americans who signed up for Obamacare to the federal government and more than 300 medical institutions and healthcare providers.
“The U.S. Affordable Care Act software was written in part in Belarus by software developers under state control, and that makes the software a potential target for cyber attacks,” one official said.

Sunday, January 19, 2014

Only 11% of those who signed up for Obamacare were previously uninsured?

This is a massive fail. It is likely that more people are uninsured now than before Obamacare was enacted. 

Via Forbes:
At the end of the day, for all of the rhetoric and promises about what Obamacare would achieve, the health law’s most ardent supporters have stuck to their guns because of one thing: coverage expansion. But new data suggests that Obamacare may fail even to achieve this goal. Instead of expanding coverage to those without it, Obamacare is replacing the pre-existing market for private insurance. Surveys from insurers and other industry players indicate that as few as 11 percent of those on Obamacare’s exchanges were previously uninsured. If these trends continue, the probability increases that Obamacare will eventually get repealed.
The latest reporting on this topic comes from Christopher Weaver and Anna Wilde Mathews of the Wall Street Journal. They cite several industry surveys on the coverage history of those signing up for insurance on the Obamacare exchanges.

Friday, January 10, 2014

House GOP passes bill to deal with potential ACA Exchange security breaches. Obama and dems oppose it.

The bill requires the government to tell people is their personal information is compromised. For some reason, Obama and democrats don't think that is a good idea.

Via TPM
The House has passed a bill that would impose new security requirements on the Obama administration’s implementation of the health care law.
The vote was 291-122. Republicans say the bill was necessary to deal with potential security breaches, though they have offered no examples of cases in which personal data had been compromised.

They cited the case of Target Corp., which was the victim of hacking last year.
Democrats say the bill is designed to scare Americans from enrolling for coverage.

Saturday, December 21, 2013

Oregon's health insurance exchange robocalling applicants, "If you haven't heard from us by Dec. 23, it is unlikely your application will be processed..."

Oregon's health insurance exchange fail boat arrives...

Via The Oregonian:
Oregon's troubled health insurance exchange began robocalling applicants Friday, warning them that if they don't receive enrollment confirmation by Monday, they should seek coverage elsewhere for Jan. 1.
"If you haven't heard from us by Dec. 23, it is unlikely your application will be processed for Jan. 1 insurance coverage," a woman's voice on the pre-recorded call from Cover Oregon says. "If you want to be sure you have insurance coverage starting Jan. 1, you have other options."

Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Interesting: Capitol Hill staffers told not to trust healthcare exchange information...

Well, doh!

Via The Hill:
Capitol Hill staffers who signed up for ObamaCare through the Washington, D.C., healthcare exchange, called DC Health Link (DCHL), are being told to confirm their enrollments in person, and not to rely on data provided by the website.
The Hill obtained an email sent to staffers on Wednesday warning them, “it is essential that you confirm your coverage in DCHL through the Disbursing Office.”
“Do not rely on your ‘My Account’ page or other correspondence from DCHL,” the email reads.
“Please do not assume you are covered unless you have seen the confirmation letter from the Disbursing Office,” the email continues.
Capitol Hill workers had until Monday to sign up for healthcare in D.C., where members and their staffs are eligible for a generous employer healthcare subsidy from the government.
DC Health Link, the online healthcare portal for the District, has experienced a number of technical issues over the last few weeks.
According to the email obtained by The Hill, those staffers who were not able to enroll because of technical difficulties now have until Dec. 16 to sign up. The extension was granted because of problems with the website.
Keep on reading…

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

CMS tech officer: Roughly 30-40 percent of the ObamaCare exchange system still needs to be built...

 Start at the 2:35 mark if you are in a hurry.

This tweet sums up the revelation in this video better than I ever could.




We were told only 26,794 people enrolled in the federal exchange, but that number included people who had not checked out yet, but had a plan in their outbox. Did anyone actually check out an Obamacare plan? How did they pay? I did a search of the term "check out" on healthcare.gov and the results don't refer to how to out a plan.

Don't let your Congress critter tell you he is in the same health insurance boat you are...

Lawmakers may have to buy Obamacare, but it isn't the same. First, Obama gave them  an exemption that allowed their employer, the taxpayers of this country, to pay 70 percent of their insurance premium. No one else is allowed to have their employer subsidize their exchange premium on the exchanges. That isn't the only perk Congress gets that you don't.

Via The NY Times:
Members of Congress like to boast that they will have the same health care enrollment experience as constituents[...]
That is true. As long as their constituents have access to “in-person support sessions” like the ones being conducted at the Capitol and congressional office buildings by the local exchange and four major insurers. Or can log on to a special Blue Cross and Blue Shield website for members of Congress and use a special toll-free telephone number — a “dedicated congressional health insurance plan assistance line.”
And then there is the fact that lawmakers have a larger menu of “gold plan” insurance choices than most of their constituents have back home.
While millions of Americans have been left to fend for themselves and go through the frustrating experience of trying to navigate the federal exchange, members of Congress and their aides have all sorts of assistance to help them sort through their options and enroll.

Monday, November 18, 2013

Is Obama getting ready to give up on the federal exchange?

The Obama administration is considering letting big insurers to directly sign up people who qualify
for tax credits. That doesn't sound like they are confident the exchange will be functioning well at the end of the month.

Via CNBC:
On a mission to help people bypass distressed health-insurance websites, the Obama administration said it may allow big insurers to directly sign up those who qualify for tax credits, The Wall Street Journal reported Monday.
Currently, customers who are eligible for subsidies can get them only when purchasing coverage on the exchanges. The Obamacare website was launched on Oct. 1 and since then has had various technical problems.
The new concession can help some people work around troubled insurance websites, including HealthCare.gov. The administration said it is working with insurers to eliminate the technical hurdles for the plan, according to The Journal.

Get prepared for the Obamacare insurance exchange rate death spiral...

Early results indicate young people aren't interested. When it comes to a new iPhone or health insurance they think they don't need, young people are getting an iPhone. 
In California, the state with the largest uninsured population, most of those who applied were older people with health problems. In Kentucky, nearly 3 of 4 enrollees were over 35. In Washington state, about 23 percent of enrollees were between 18 and 34. And in Ohio, groups helping with enrollment described many of those coming to them as older residents who lost their jobs and health coverage during the recession.
"They have been putting off treatment for a long time, just praying they live until they turn 65 and qualify for Medicare," said Lisa Hamler-Fugitt, executive director of the Ohio Association of Foodbanks, which received federal grant money to help people establish coverage.
That people with serious health conditions would be the first to take advantage of the Affordable Care Act was expected. But that direction must shift.
In general, someone in his 60s uses $6 in health care services for every $1 tallied by someone in his 20s... Keep on reading...

Monday, November 11, 2013

WSJ: Less than 50,000 have signed up for insurance through Obamacare website...

And that number is on the high side...
So far, private health plans have received enrollment data for 40,000 to 50,000 users of the federal marketplace, the people familiar with the figures said. The federal marketplace uses an industry-standard format to exchange enrollment information, known as an 834 transmission…
In some cases, insurers have reported duplicated 834s and other data-integrity problems, but the people familiar with the matter said they believed these figures reflected an accurate count of enrollments through late last week…
The initial federal numbers set for release this week are expected to show enrollment only through the end of October, so the figures are expected to be lower. Efforts to clean up the data and reduce duplications could further cull the formal count.
The administration hasn’t said whether it will release demographic data such as ages when it announces the number of enrollees.

Thursday, October 31, 2013

Vermont's Obamacare Exchange Is Broken Too...

It allegedly cost $170 million.

Via Rutland Herald:
On Sept. 12 the nationally known consulting group Gartner Inc. delivered a report to the federal Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The report assessed the operational readiness of the various state health insurance exchanges as the Obamacare-mandated launch date — Oct. 1 — approached.
Vermont Health Connect, the state’s $170 million exchange, is “one of the most functional in the country,” according to Gov. Peter Shumlin. That’s conceivably true, since most if not all of the other exchanges are in serious trouble, but the Gartner report concluded that Vermont Health Connect “should be considered in RED status due to significant risks to meeting the Oct. 1 deadline for Go-Live.”
The statutory deadline of Oct. 1 has long since gone by, but Vermont Health Connect remains essentially inoperative. You can review the Obamacare-approved insurance plans offered for 2014, but you can’t buy one. Kyle Midura of WCAX-TV observed on the Oct. 18 “Vermont This Week” program that site visitors “almost inevitably get an error message.”

Monday, October 21, 2013

Obamacare exchange software going on the operation table...

Can the patient be saved or is it terminal?

Via WSJ:
The Department of Health and Human Services said Sunday it was bringing in outside help to resolve some of the technical woes that have beset the federally run insurance exchanges, which the agency acknowledged “has not lived up to the expectations of the American people.”
“We are committed to doing better,” agency officials said in a blog post that also said that “our team is bringing in some of the best and brightest from both inside and outside government to scrub in with the team and help improve healthcare.gov.”
Spokespeople for the agency didn’t immediately respond to questions seeking more information about the development, which it is billing as a “tech surge.
The blog post also confirmed that the agency had made several changes to the system in recent days to ease problems millions of consumers were having creating accounts, the first stage in the site’s process for people to shop for insurance plans and apply for federal assistance to pay for them.

Saturday, October 19, 2013

Some of the few who actually signed up for Obamacare actually signed up twice...

So does this mean the incredibly low sign up numbers are actually overinflated? 

Via The Columbus Dispatch:
The man, who was signing up for a marketplace plan offered by Medical Mutual of Ohio, got to the end of the process, hit that button and got an error message. He repeated the process and again got an error message.
All told, he completed the process three times.
What he didn’t know was that, despite the error message, he had successfully enrolled — three times.
And in the process, he actually signed up for two Medical Mutual plans.
Medical Mutual contacted the man to clarify which plan he wanted. The Cleveland-based insurer shared his experience yesterday with The Dispatch without identifying him. The man’s experience was first mentioned by The Wall Street Journal.

Saturday, December 15, 2012

Half of states tell Obama administration they are on their own with Obamacare exchanges...

The chance of team Obama setting up these exchanges in the next year without state help is is somewhere between slight and none.
The implementation of ObamaCare assumed that the states would do the work of setting up individual state exchanges to provide a clearinghouse of health insurance information for the public, and provide the mechanism that triggered enforcement of the law against those employers who were accused of violations.
There are just 33 problems. That’s the number of states that have chosen to either not implement a state exchange at all or engage in a hybrid system that leaves many of the problems up to the federal government, as is the case with Illinois, Delaware and North Carolina, or which remain undecided on whether to accept the responsibility for developing the exchange.
Already, 25 states representing 45 percent of the U.S. population have told the Obama administration that they will not be spending the time, energy and effort to build a state exchange, when ultimately the federal government would have to approve virtually every decision that was made. These states have effectively told the Feds that they won’t own the vast array of problems created under ObamaCare when they won’t have the flexibility or ability to fix them.

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Obamacare’s director of Health Insurance Exchanges: Employers may dump people into the exchanges


But...but...we were told we could keep our insurance if we liked our insurance.
Joel Ario: “If it plays out the exchanges work pretty well, then the employer can say ‘This is a great thing. I can now dump my people into the exchange and it would be good for them, good for me,'
I doubt this would be good news for any employee, but this is what opponents have predicted all along.
(The Weekly Standard)- As the Hill reports, Joel Ario, director of Obamacare’s newly created Office of Health Insurance Exchanges, says, “If it plays out [that] the Exchanges work pretty well, then the employer can say ‘This is a great thing. I can now dump my people into the Exchange and it would be good for them, good for me.’” This doesn’t quite have the same ring as, “If you like your health care plan, you can keep your health care plan” — but it does have the benefit of being much closer to the truth. Since the employer would be the one making the decision, however, it’s not at all clear that this would be good for the employee, the one being “dumped.”