Even with the disastrous web sign up
system rollout, there are those who are beginning to realize that some of the
conservative cable talk show media did not have it quite right about Obamacare. What must be puzzling to the dedicated
Obamacare and Obama haters is why public approval of Obamacare (the ACA,
Affordable Care Act) actually rose 8 points even as media and they focused on the web system screw ups. In fact,
a CNN poll released October 21 three weeks into the web rollout found “ that 53% either support Obamacare or say it's not liberal
enough.”
Consumers are beginning to sort
out for themselves what is fact versus the fiction of misspeaking
and fear mongering anti Obamacare forces.
What we hear in Colorado differs
from the federal web sign up plan. Colorado
is one of the fifteen states that opted
to develop and manage their own market place exchanges and web site. The rest of
the states decided to let Uncle Sam do
it and they did a disservice to their own citizens. Even in the first month of
the sign ups state run Obamacare systems have worked much better than the
federal one.
In Colorado, Connect for Health Colorado is managing the marketplace exchanges where consumers can
shop, choose, and enroll . Their web
site is www.connectforhealthco.com. Colorado has also flooded the state with
“navigators”, allowing for in person applications, certifying insurance
agents to sign their customers up, and staffing call centers for telephone sign ups and answering
questions.(1- 855-752-6749.)
The figures provided by the Colorado
system for the first week reveal a
successful operation:
- Unique website visitors: 162,941
- Calls and chats with Customer Service Center
Representatives: 9,658
- Accounts created: 18,174
- Average call and chat wait time: 5 minutes 44 seconds
- Enrollments: 226
- Covered Lives: 305
That enrollments were low this first week is not surprising . Experience with the
Massachusetts system after which Obamacare was patterned, was that most
enrollments did not occur until the last moment. It is a little early to expect
much now anyway since open enrollment lasts for another five months ,
while coverage does not begin until January 1 for early birds who enroll by December 15.
The most popular pages visited on the Colorado
website and questions asked indicate visitors
during the first week were mostly kicking the tires, being curious about whether they qualified for lowered
premiums, how to sign up, and what the sticker
price for them would be.
Also, there are a wide range of
plans from which to choose that require some thought and kitchen table
discussion : One major decision is
whether one should one choose a plan
with low monthly premiums and higher deductibles and co pays or more expensive monthly
premiums with less subsequent out of
pocket expenses.
Making sign up for Obamacare easier,
applicants will not have to fill out
pages of health history because all pre-existing conditions will be covered anyway. Questions about income will be asked and answers verified,
however, to determine if customers are eligible for reduced premiums.
Signing up young, healthy adults is
critical to Obamacare’s financial success. Young people through 29 years old
can get an ultra low cost catastrophic
plan as well as staying on their parents’ plans until they turn 26. There are
those wringing their hands (or anti Obamacare forces are praying) that young people will not sign up because they
will be unable to deal with a faulty computer program. They should neither
fret or hope . Colorado systems are not faulty. Having raised three teenagers and observed three
teenage grandchildren close at hand, my experience is that if anyone has the
ability and patience to apply on line, this computer savvy generation does.
However, “ last minute” is their middle
name even into young adulthood.
