Exchanges In Midwest Open For Business
Health insurance exchanges in the Midwest opened for business today in fits and starts, with most deferring to the federal government's online marketplace, healthcare.gov.
The opening of the exchanges is considered a critical part of the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, and it occurs on the first day of the first shutdown of the federal government since 1996.
Minnesota's exchange, MNSure, was not yet ready to enroll individuals as of approximately 10:30 a.m. Central Time. A message on its website said it would be ready to do so later Tuesday, and asked Native Americans to consider enrolling later in the month. Information regarding the insurance agents and navigators who would assist in enrolling would be available later today.
Illinois' exchange, GetCoveredIllinois.gov, launched this morning and is expected to independently operational by 2015. In the meantime, it is referring most applicants to the federal website after collecting some basic income and other demographic information of would-be applicants.
Michigan's health insurance exchange will be operated by the federal government. The Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services provided links on its homepage that included a premium estimator, as well as a direct link to the federally operated exchange. According to data released by the agency on Tuesday, 73 different plans will be available statewide. The average cost of a bronze-level plan will be $275 a month before tax subsidies.
Kansas, whose exchange is also being operated by the feds, launched a portal website last month, insureks.org, that contains one of the few examples of wit and humor regarding the exchanges. Its mascot, Alex, a stylized thought bubble seen in comic strips, has an interactive animation that “talks through” would-be applicants about the ACA and insurance options before they're directed to the federal website. Alex's discussion of pre-existing conditions includes stick figures suffering from “spaghetti arm” unable to obtain coverage in the past. Alex is the brainchild of Jellyvision, a Chicago-based firm that specializes in benefits counseling.
“I think that Kansans who go online to the new site will find many answers to the questions that have been raised about the new health insurance provisions,” said Kansas Insurance Commissioner Sandy Praeger. “We have tried to provide information and education pieces that will give them a chance to get the facts for themselves.”
Ohio, the most populous Midwest state, has a state legislature that has remained cool to the ACA. Unlike Minnesota and Illinois, it has yet to expand its Medicaid program, and state officials vowed to not promote information on the exchange. That was indeed the case on Tuesday, where the Ohio Department of Insurance provided a plain page that linked to the federally operated exchange. And while the agency was collecting questions from consumers it said it would not answer them individually, but would place the question and answer on its website “so all stakeholders will be able to see the information.” There were no questions or answers posted as of late Tuesday morning.
In Indiana, another state hostile to the ACA whose insurance commissioner came under fire for allegedly claiming premiums would skyrocket under the federal reform, had no information on the federal exchange on either its main landing page or that of the Department of Insurance (DOI), and no links to healthcare.gov anywhere. However, its assertions that premiums would rise an average of 72% because of the ACA remained on the DOI's website as of Tuesday.
The federal government's exchange appeared to be functioning on Tuesday, although it asked would-be applicants to wait 30 seconds or more before being taken to the main portal to begin the application process. And one key feature was absent on Tuesday – a live chat feature that would provide would-be applicants with virtual assistance. Consumers were asked to call a toll-free number instead.
