Set in the heart of Pennsylvania’s early American clock making region, the National Association Watch and Clock Collectors museum in Columbia, Pennsylvania is worth a visit. Their collection spans from some of the earliest European and Asian clocks and watches to modern-day wrist watches and mystery clocks. They even have a wonderful display of the […]
Archives for November 2014
CoveredCa online enrollment software seminar
Covered California presented a short seminar and long video about the updates and changes to the CalHEERS online enrollment system. The presentation should have been entitled Bugs and Workarounds because there are more known issues than anyone at Covered California is willing to admit with the program. The breadth of the issues and challenges with […]
Covered California techincal guides for 2015 enrollment
Covered California released several Job Aids or technical summaries related to ACA open enrollment for 2015. The guides cover a variety of different consumer situations from changing plans, making the initial binder payment, and the overall functionality of the CalHEERS online enrollment system. Some of the functions can only be performed by certain certified agents, counselors or […]
ACA households, dependents, exemptions and confusion
One of the confusing aspects of the Affordable Care Act is the interchangeable tax terms people use when defining a household. The federal and state exchanges use the terms children or dependents when describing members of a household. The IRS uses the more accurate, but confusing terminology, of personal exemptions as the true test for […]
Blue Shield and Blue Cross struggle with renewal letters to members
In the confusing landscape of health insurance regulations post ACA implementation, numerous health insurance companies have sent out renewal letters to members with errors. Blue Cross, Blue Shield, Health Net and even Covered California have had to send follow-up letters to correct erroneous information. Unfortunately, this incorrect correspondence only leads to more confusion surrounding the benefits and renewal […]
Cigna hides plans, cuts commissions
Cigna will be deploying a strategy of hiding certain health plans from consumers and cutting commissions paid to agents on individual and family plans in 2015. Gold and Platinum plans from Cigna will not be available for online quoting or enrollment. Cigna will also be cutting the commission on those plans from 5% to 2% for agents in […]
Surviving medical debt and restoring your credit rating
Even with the Affordable Care Act extending health insurance to millions of Americans, medical debt can still be a burden to many families. Toni Turner of Financial Education Services was kind enough to put together this summary of surviving medical debt and restoring damaged credit ratings Surviving medical debt A serious illness or injury can […]
Covered California Navigator Sales Funnel Seminar 3
Covered California held their third sales seminar for enrollment partners on November 5th. While there was plenty of information for Certified Insurance Agents, it was apparent that Covered California has developed a marketing strategy to funnel sales to the Navigators. In addition to a media blitz including a bus to tour through the state, Covered […]
No Shop and Compare Tool for Covered California
It seems as if every time Covered California tries to fix or update their enrollment software, something else breaks. Two weeks before the 2015 open enrollment period begins, their Shop and Compare Tool that quotes rates for consumers, Certified Enrollment Counselors, and Certified Insurance Agents is broken. As of November 3rd, the Report a Change […]
Chinese Community Health Plan gets immediate Medicare sanctions
On October 29th, 2014, Chinese Community Health Plan (CCHP) was notified that they were being put on immediate imposition of intermediate sanctions from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). The Medicare sanction was triggered by what the CMS auditors concluded were severe violations in the Chinese Community Health Plan Medicare Advantage (MA-PD) plans offered in […]