Kevin Knauss: Health, History, Travel, Insurance
Covered California just announced they received another grant for more marketing of their health plans. In the words of one of the Covered California Board members, Paul Fearer, “I’m concerned about ramping up on media if we aren’t fully prepared to deal or provide excellent customer service in response.” Covered California needs to scrap the slick marketing and “one touch and done” concept to enrollment and open up walk-in enrollment centers to service Californian residents.
At the January 23, 2014 Covered California Board meeting I made public comments regarding the numerous applications for enrollment that had failed to be transmitted to chosen health insurance carriers. I have documented the numerous instances where I’ve enrolled individuals and families into a Covered California health plan only to learn the health insurance company never received the data.
Covered California continues to sabotage their customer service operations by sending out confusing eligibility and verification request letters to new applicants of ACA plans. Individuals and families receiving these letters are confused by Covered California informing them what programs and plans they aren’t eligible for, no mention of what they have enrolled in and requests for documentation they have already uploaded to the CalHEERS enrollment website.
In the wake of the billing nightmare revolving around Covered California ACA health plans, both Kaiser and Health Net have extended their payment deadlines for health plans effective for January 1, 2014. Kaiser will allow new plan members up to January 22 to receive the first month’s premium. Health Net will mirror the recently announced Anthem Blue Cross extension of January 31.
If you are one of the thousands of Californians who have suffered because of the coordination and planning between Covered California and the participating health plans, I hope you will consider filing a complaint against them. While Covered California is one of those bureaucracies that is comfortably insulated from being held accountable for their actions, or lack of there of, the health insurance companies have caused enormous pain and suffering from their fumbling on a number of issues.
I’ve tolerated the many failures of Covered California until yesterday when they absolutely refused to help an applicant that has been left without health insurance. Miss B’s situation where her application has mysteriously become lost after allegedly being transmitted to the carrier is not unique to me or Covered California.
Families that didn’t have their insurance cancelled by the ill-fated Covered California forced policy cancellation of December 31 are now wrestling if they should make their current health plan premium for January. The utter lack of communication between Covered California and the health plans has left many families without knowing if they do or don’t have health insurance.
A pregnant Bay Area woman who applied for health insurance through Covered California in November and has yet to receive any notification from her selected health plan or Covered California must now consider cancelling her prenatal doctor visits for lack of insurance. When asked about the status of the woman’s application a Covered California call center staffer said that it can take weeks for the insurance companies to receive the application. Essentially, Covered California has decided to ignore the woman, her family and unborn baby.
While a significant number of California residents have successfully applied, the Covered California website and enrollment systems presented significant challenges and failures not only for those applying but also insurance agents, enrollment Counselors and the health plans themselves. The management at Covered California has consistently ignored the failure of their design and process and sought only to promote their perceived successes.
If you missed completing your application online December 23rd because of the Covered California melt down you now have another opportunity to enroll. But instead of calling Covered California or faxing over your application you’ll have to find a Certified Insurance to enter you application into the CalHEERS program online for you. Insurance agents never charge clients for their services. They are always paid by the insurance company or health plan by either a one-time payment, fixed monthly monthly or a commission percentage.
