Kevin Knauss: Health, History, Travel, Insurance
CoveredCa.com website went from accessible to impenetrable last week for many consumers and agents. Just recently I learned that the problem stems from issues with both Google Chrome and Internet Explorer web browsers. I can confirm this since the stall in the login occurs with both web browsers as of the writing of this blog post, October 14th. Oddly, I was able to login on my iPad. Unfortunately, the Safari web browser on my iMac won’t correctly connect to Covered California.
While most people are thrilled with the ability to get affordable health insurance through Covered California, others are trying to avoid the premium free health insurance being offered. Specifically, some families and individuals are trying to figure out how to avoid having either their children or their family automatically enrolled in Medi-Cal. Inflating the income of the household is one way side step automatic enrollment in Medi-Cal health plans.
Beyond the well crafted TV commercials and print ads for Covered California are numerous volunteers that are “walking and talking” with total strangers to spread the news about the new Affordable Care Act health plans. People committed and passionate about health care reform from the Sacramento Mighty Oaks ACA Team are spending countless hours answering questions and handing out literature at libraries, community centers, neighborhoods and small businesses.
Sacramento Mighty Oaks is part of the Certified Outreach Network for Covered California. They will be holding a series of educational events at various libraries throughout Sacramento.
After giving presentations in Oroville and Chico, it was apparent that I should offer the educational seminar to other communities in Northern California that want to learn more about this new health insurance market place call Covered California. I am now offering presentations on the features and benefits of Covered California to large and small groups.
One of the biggest questions regarding eligibility for premium assistance or discounts under the new Affordable Care Act is what type of income must the applicant count? The Covered California CalHEERS enrollment website will have a drop down menu to prompt households on the type of income they should be entering for eligibility.
On a recent webinar, Chris Patton, Vice President of SHOP Sales and Agent Management for Covered California, reported that over 15,000 insurance agents have registered to become certified to sell both individual and small group health plans through the California health insurance exchange. Of those thousands of agents, less than 1700 had completed the necessary training for certification only days before the start of open enrollment. In addition, no agents will actually be certified as of the launch on October 1st because agent agreement has not been released.
The new Affordable Care Act health plans offered through Covered California will help many people move out of an expensive COBRA plan and into an insurance plan with lower premiums. However, COBRA is considered “employer offered” health insurance that meets minimum essential benefits and value. Because of this many people and families on, or offered, COBRA will NOT be eligible for tax credits to reduce the monthly premiums of Covered California plans.
Open enrollment for the new Covered California health plans launches October 1st. But you don’t have to rush into unknown waters and sign up for coverage that doesn’t start until January 1, 2014. Because these health plans are new, it would be prudent to avoid immediately enrolling until the health plans have been reviewed and all the details are known.
The misguided training was a missed opportunity to explain the importance of Covered California and how the ACA will help millions of people get access to affordable health insurance and quality care. Instead we were told that health plans were expecting lots of sick people to seek care and they were cutting back on their providers. You know, “those people” were going to use the system they had been shut of for years by insurance companies who were just “following the rules” of being able to deny sick people health insurance. It wasn’t the fault of the insurance company, one trainer opined.
