Analysts say that excluding holidays, people enrolling in new health care plans by the December 23 deadline have only a few days to pay their first premium. Missing the deadline could create a coverage gap for those converting from an old plan to a new one, or delay coverage for the uninsured.
Enrollees who don’t qualify for Medicaid are being told they do, and processing delays could keep some who are eligible for Medicaid out of the program in early 2014.
With the website working better on the consumer front, attention has turned to whether insurance companies are actually getting enrollment information—what tekkies call “834” data.
Harum Helmy fell through a crack created by last year’s Supreme Court decision allowing states to avoid expanding Medicaid. Now, she is among millions who earn less than the poverty level but can’t get subsidized private insurance.
Performance issues continue to dog the federal government’s updated health care marketplace. Live chat helper: “Yes, others are experiencing the same problem.”
It’s unclear whether the improvements are enough to salvage the Affordable Care Act’s central element and ensure consumers can get coverage before the December 23 deadline.