Washington State Affordable Care Act insurance exchange in chaos, leaving thousands with no coverage when they file health care claims

[Emily]

Our state's mandatory health insurance exchange website ran smoothly, signed people up for Affordable Care Act insurance and seemed set up a premium collection system efficiently - but that was as far as it got. People were in for a rude shock when they got sick and filed a claim.

http://union-bulletin.com/news/2014/jul/22/washington-state-health-care-exchange-sounds-alarm/

Washington state health-care exchange sounds alarm
Patrick Marshall of The Seattle Times
As of Tuesday, July 22, 2014
SEATTLE ? One message came through loud and clear at Monday?s meeting of the Washington Health Benefit Exchange?s Operations Committee: It may not be time to panic about the health exchange?s problem-riddled invoicing and payments system, but it is time to sound the alarm and get all hands on deck.

?We are really out of rope on this one,? Chief of Staff Pam MacEwan told the committee. ?We need this to be fixed a while ago. We don?t have the patience of the public or the carriers on this anymore.?

Software problems have prevented payments for up to 6,000 consumer accounts from posting properly and being reported to insurers, resulting in some consumers being told they don?t have coverage....

Time to panic now? The problems are mushrooming:

http://www.king5.com/news/local/Many-still-cant-use-Washington-health-coverage-270206961.html

Many still can't use Washington health coverage
by Associated Press

Posted on August 6, 2014 at 12:44 PM

Updated yesterday at 12:44 PM

SEATTLE -

...

Insurance companies and the state insurance commissioner are concerned the total number of people who bought insurance through the exchange and are now having billing problems could be many more than the 6,000 customers identified by the exchange a few weeks ago.

Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler said he's giving the exchange one more month to fix the problems or he will take what action he can to help the people of Washington who want health insurance.

Go Mike! I think the state exchange should never have escaped his department's regulatory oversight in the first place.

 

[Emily]

Re: Washington State Affordable Care Act insurance exchange in chaos, leaving thousands with no coverage when they file health care claims

http://insurancenewsnet.com/oarticle/2014/08/08/option-for-washington-consumers-having-difficulty-with-health-coverage-a-541594.html#.U-gQ76Mj6Ck

August 08, 2014

Option for Washington Consumers Having Difficulty with Health Coverage
Targeted News Service

OLYMPIA, Wash., Aug. 7 -- The Washington stateOffice of the Insurance Commissioner issued the following news release:

Any consumer experiencing payment issues with their health care coverage through Washington Healthplanfinder has the option to pay their health insurer directly. Additional steps they should take are outlined below.

...

Governor Inslee, Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler, and the Washington Health Benefit Exchange announced this option today to provide temporary relief to those individuals and families currently experiencing issues with their health insurance purchased through Washington Healthplanfinder...

http://union-bulletin.com/news/2014/aug/09/payment-fix-announced-health-exchange/

Payment fix announced for health exchange
The Associated Press
As of Saturday, August 9, 2014
...
It will put Washington back on par with exchanges in other states, since most allow direct payment of insurance premiums...

So that explains it - WA state added an unnecessary layer of bureaucracy to the system. Sick people do not need that kind of additional anxiety and stress eating up what little energy and time they have available.