An article featured in www.politico.com looks at how well state exchanges are running. On the Obamacare racetrack, Washington, Kentucky, and New York are leading the pack. Relatively free of the technical problems that have plagued the federally run insurance exchanges, some states are charging ahead on enrollment while others have run up against roadblocks.
The leader on enrollments, so far is Washington state, with nearly 49,000 enrollees in exchange plans and Medicaid. The state has been a leader in setting up its exchange all along, and officials say the swell of enrollments has allowed them to identify the biggest website problems early on.
“The problems have ranged from error codes to difficulties reconciling state tax records with the federal government,” said Washington exchange spokesman Michael Marchand. Those problems are being fixed through regular overnight weekend maintenance, which will most likely continue through the beginning of December, he said.
Enrollment is also humming along in New York and Kentucky. More than 37,000 have enrolled in N.Y. State of Health and 31,500 have signed up through Kynect, the Kentucky exchange. It’s moving a little slower in California, Colorado, and Connecticut, where the websites are basically working, but still experiencing some glitches, according to politico.com. In California, there have been delays in authorizing enrollment counselors, which has slowed down the process for some residents who want help in-person.
In some states, glitches have been so severe that officials have been forced to postpone deadlines. The Hawaii exchange opened two weeks late and crashed when people started visiting it. But it’s been up and running since then. Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin announced last week that residents can stay on their existing plans through March 31 because of the exchange’s technical problems. That exchange depended on the same lead contractor as the troubled federal one. Oregon’s exchange is still so spotty that Gov. John Kitzhaber urged residents to enroll using paper applications. Officials are not sure whether it will be fully operational by Dec. 15 – the deadline to sign up to be covered by Jan. 1. Oregon had embraced the president’s health law early and enthusiastically.
Tose watching the exchanges warn against scoring them too early, stressing that open enrollment lasts for another five months. For more information, visit http://www.politico.com/story/2013/11/state-health-care-exchanges-mixed-results-obamacare-affordable-care-act-99346.html#ixzz2kUNmlMn5
