Consumers who were unable to create an online account or start their online application because of technical difficulties can contact a Covered California Certified Insurance Agent to explain that they attempted to get through on March 31 and experienced difficulties. Those consumers will have until 11:59 p.m. April 15 to work with the Certified Insurance Agent to complete their application and choose a plan.
Archives for March 2014
Home brew citrus flavored water
I’ll admit that I’m addicted to flavored water. For years I have been buying Aquafina Flavor Splash and recently started purchasing Mio Orange Tangerine Liquid Enhancer concentrate. When I looked at the ingredients of these two products I realized that I could make a similar concentrated to flavor water at home. While my home brew chemical mixture isn’t quite as perfect as the store bought products, it tastes good and it’s fun to tinker with the ingredients.
Sony Vaio Fit 15E fails at wi-fi
I was visited by everyone’s worst nightmare; a computer that crashes in the middle of a vital project. As I browsed the local computer store, I decided to lean on the old adage of “you get what you pay for” and decided to pay the extra money for a Sony Vaio Fit 15E. Much to my surprise, I got less than what I paid for as this Sony notebook computer fails at the critical task of maintaining a wireless or wi-fi connection for more than a couple of minutes.
Blue Shield Gender Reassignment Surgery Criteria
Solid information is hard to come by when it relates to what health insurance plans will cover for gender reassignment surgery in California. In response to the Insurance Gender Non-Discrimination Act passed by California in 2013, some health plans have created detailed medical policies for transgender health benefits. For a variety of reasons the health insurance companies don’t make their policies readily available to the general public. I was able to locate two detailed outlines issued by Blue Shield of California relating to gender reassignment surgery.
Greedy doctors kick patients out of their practices
California doctors, upon finding that the new Covered California health plans may not reimburse them enough to maintain their vaunted lifestyle, are kicking existing patients with the new health insurance out of their practices. These doctors are the epitome of the maxim “Putting profits before people.” Most of these greedy doctors haven’t exercised the common decency to notify their current patients before their appointments that unless they have the right color of health insurance, they won’t be served.
Health Consumer Advocates, beyond ACA enrollment
As the ACA open enrollment winds down, attention now turns to helping individuals and families in the new health plans actually get health care from their insurance. While there have been significant challenges just getting people signed up for health insurance, there will surely be additional hurdles as households now try to use the new health plans. For most people, they have no advocate to help them maneuver through the maze set up by health care professionals and insurance plans. Who will be the health insurance advocates for these families?
Roasted roots in olive oil
Several years ago I discovered that roasting vegetables was relatively easy and quite flavorful. While I roast roots as part of a vegetarian main dish, they can easily be a side accompaniment with a meat selection. Roasting root and stalk vegetables really concentrates the flavors and the fiber provides for a filling meal. Best of all for this old man, the hardest part is just cutting up all the roots.
How to change health plans through Covered California
Outside of open enrollment there will be few opportunities to switch health plans unless the individual or family has a qualifying event such as moving to a new region. In all cases, if you are making the change through your Covered California account, you’ll need to terminate participation in the current health plan, create a change report and then select a new health plan.
Covered California math error creates more delays
In what has become routine for Covered California, they alerted agents to another CalHEERS enrollment website problem late on a Friday afternoon. The latest email notified agents that the system has been calculating the wrong Advance Premium Tax Credit (APTC) on submitted applications. While the Covered California email blast wasn’t real specific, it sounds like the APTC number is wrong when the applicant confirms the health plan purchase, but correct in the “Eligibility Results” page.
Cigna offers individual plans outside of Covered California
Covered California doesn’t have a monopoly on individual and family health plans in California. In addition to the carriers participating in the California exchange, Cigna is also offering health insurance outside of Covered California. Cigna is offering eleven different individual and family plan (IFP) options in California: seven Baseline Portfolio plans and four plans that mirror the Covered California standard metal tier levels for 2014. None of their plans are available through Covered California for the Advanced Premium Tax Credit.