Early Exchange Test Drive Report from Kaiser

[Yagents]

That makes sense to me Tim

 

[AllenChicago]

Tim's explanation sounds good to me too. Would they get a deductible carryover credit from the non-exchange QHP, or have to start from scratch with a new deductible in mid-year?

By the way, on June 26th, the Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight issued some additional guidance re: hardship exemptions and also special enrollment eligibility. Since it's only 3 pages, we're hopefully nearing the end of these "tweaks" to existing rules.

http://www.cms.gov/CCIIO/Resources/...e/Downloads/exemptions-guidance-6-26-2013.pdf

-ac

 

[timsip]

Tim's explanation sounds good to me too. Would they get a deductible carryover credit from the non-exchange QHP, or have to start from scratch with a new deductible in mid-year?

By the way, on June 26th, the Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight issued some additional guidance re: hardship exemptions and also special enrollment eligibility. Since it's only 3 pages, we're hopefully nearing the end of these "tweaks" to existing rules.

http://www.cms.gov/CCIIO/Resources/...e/Downloads/exemptions-guidance-6-26-2013.pdf

-ac

I don't have any regulation to quote, but I would have to assume they would have to start from scratch with a new deductible mid-year. Another advantage to starting in the exchange as long they stay on the same plan. I can't imagine there is anything requiring the new plan/carrier to give a credit.

 

[AllenChicago]

Here is a screen shot of the so called "expedia" of health insurance. Scroll down on left hand side, and click square icon to enlarge the picture. Seems to me this is not side by side. Seems to me you have to click on 6 different tabs on the left to drill down on details

Test-Driving The Obamacare Software : Shots - Health News : NPR

That is some crazy screenshot! Lowest price Bronze plan = $101.34. Highest Price Platinum plan = $119.78. And it's not following any of the qualification logic described in the original Kaiser article. I would say that the Connecture janitor took that screenshot out of a trash can and sold it to a gullible NPR.org.
-ac
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

I don't have any regulation to quote, but I would have to assume they would have to start from scratch with a new deductible mid-year. Another advantage to starting in the exchange as long they stay on the same plan. I can't imagine there is anything requiring the new plan/carrier to give a credit.

I'm sure HHS's Sebelius will think of this and try to implement it, Tim. So far, health insurers haven't complained to loudly about all the other mandates and profit limitations the government has shoved down their throats.
ac

 

[somarco]

Deductible carryover credit is usually on a state by state basis. Obamacare or not, carryover is part of GA regs.

 

[Ann H]

On this thread - http://www.insurance-forums.net/for...s-financial-hardship-t54432-3.html#post712231, we were also discussing this situation of mid-year changes in income that makes one newly eligible for (or ineligible for) a subsidy. I'm going to post to that other thread to try to clear things up, but in the meantime let me just write on this thread that there is a misunderstanding about the special enrollment privelege. If you are newly eligible or ineligible for a premium subsidy or cost sharing subsidy, it opens a new qualifying event (special enrollment period), whether or not you were on a QHP plan in the first place. You DO NOT have to wait until open enrollment.

 

[timsip]

Thank you for that, Ann. I saw that too which is what prompted this string of posts I think. That is a very important point to keep in mind as I think some of us will be doing a lot of service work related to some of these issues. Best to make these misunderstandings now and in this forum rather than in the field with other people's money.

 

[AllenChicago]

In other words, they're working to design the software so that we are replaceable in the future. Interesting, I can't say we ever saw that one coming.

Stuy119, I've been thinking about what you said this morning. This TurboTax-Like software can actually be a good thing for agents.

Soon there will be companies offering to advertise in a way that will automatically send prospects to exchanges where we're licensed, with our ID info imbedded in the link. If the automated interview and plan choice process is as smooth as it appears, we can obtain a few new enrollments every week without ever talking to, or meeting with them. It might cost a few hundred dollars a month, but the break into profit wouldn't take long if commissions are decent.

This would/could work well if we don't have to be licensed with every exchange carrier, AND if the carriers that don't pay commissions (like the new Land of Lincoln Co-Op) aren't very attractive in terms of premiums, or Network coverage. Thoughts?
-Allen

 

[stuy119]

Soon there will be companies offering to advertise in a way that will automatically send prospects to exchanges where we're licensed, with our ID info imbedded in the link. If the automated interview and plan choice process is as smooth as it appears, we can obtain a few new enrollments every week without ever talking to, or meeting with them. It might cost a few hundred dollars a month, but the break into profit wouldn't take long if commissions are decent.

This would/could work well if we don't have to be licensed with every exchange carrier, AND if the carriers that don't pay commissions (like the new Land of Lincoln Co-Op) aren't very attractive in terms of premiums, or Network coverage. Thoughts?
-Allen

BCBS is going to act that way here in IL.

And, from what I've heard, LOL is going to be aggressive about recruiting agents. Not sure what that will translate to in terms of commissions, but they realize that we are the key to getting the business they want/need to sustain themselves.

 

[Yagents]

That is some crazy screenshot! Lowest price Bronze plan = $101.34. Highest Price Platinum plan = $119.78. And it's not following any of the qualification logic described in the original Kaiser article.

I'm sure the prices listed are part of beta testing