OKAY!
I set up a new account/identity with a different Email address and got all the way through to being vetted for tax credit and got shown plans.
BIG CHANGE, right?
Well, hold on …
At the point of choosing a plan when you are vetted you are sent a document which says this:
Well I can see the ASTRONOMICAL premium, which is the BASIC rate, and which holds no final guarantee is correct. The basic rate is more than 30% higher than a plan I could have gotten last year. I have already held forth on the modifiers which increase that basic premium on the Maine site.
Final premium = basic rate* plan factor * area factor *age factor * tobacco factor
Nowhere on the site is any tax credit indicated. Only eligibility. Also it says PLAINLY I have to make a payment of the 1st month’s premium FIRST before the exchange process is fully engaged.
Something between $1200 and $6034, who knows, NOT THE SITE.
So what’s going on?
AHA!! The live chat. (note the times… process began at 6:04)
[07:27:51 am]: Thanks for contacting Health Insurance Marketplace Live Chat. Please wait while we connect you to someone who can help.
[07:27:54 am]: Please be patient while we’re helping other people.
[07:27:58 am]: Welcome! You’re now connected to Health Insurance Marketplace Live Chat.Thanks for contacting us. My name is NAME REDACTED. To protect your privacy, please don’t provide any personal information, like Social Security Number, or any other sensitive medical or personal information.
[07:28:28 am]: Me
Do I have to make the first month’s payment when I enroll BEFORE I find out what the subsidy is?
[07:29:12 am]: NAME REDACTED
Give me a moment and I will research that before you.
[07:30:37 am]: NAME REDACTED
If you qualify for a tax credit it should be included in the plans your looking to enroll in to.
[07:30:56 am]: Me
It is not indicated ANYWHERE.
[07:31:32 am]: NAME REDACTED
Have you gotten a statement that say’s you qualify for a tax credit?
[07:31:43 am]: Me
Yes, a pdf
[07:32:26 am]: NAME REDACTED
Thank you for your question, it will be just a moment while I research that information.
[07:36:43 am]: NAME REDACTED
Thank you for your interest in the Marketplace and for sharing your feedback. We apologize for any technical difficulties you may be experiencing as you use HealthCare.gov. We know this can be frustrating, and we’re working around the clock to improve HealthCare.gov and to make sure your experience with it is a positive one.
I will make a note of your feedback. In the meantime, you can still complete an application right now by selecting the following link to download a paper application:
http://marketplace.cms.gov/getofficialresources/publications-and-articles/publications-and-articles.html. Choose the application that best fits your needs under “Marketplace Consumer Application.”
You may also call the Marketplace at 1-800-318-2596 for help with completing an application or to request a paper application by mail.
[07:38:18 am]: Me
NAME REDACTED, while I appreciate your efforts, YOU DID NOT ANSWER A QUESTION MOST BASIC TO THIS ENTIRE EFFORT. Is there no one there who can tell me if I must pay 100% of the premium before enrollment, and why no tax credit amount is indicated?
[07:40:48 am]: NAME REDACTED
We have some glitches in healthcare.gov, which is why a lot of information isn’t showing up yet.
[07:40:56 am]: NAME REDACTED
I apologize for the inconvenience.
[07:41:58 am]: Me
Having been an IT professional… these are not glitches. I feel sorry for you. You are having to answer for a complete roll out failure. Good Luck
So, some aspects of the site work better IF you have an account created NOW. However, the meat of the site, pricing and detail information about the plans and the tax credits (i.e. SHOPPING) don’t function, and the ‘Navigators’ clearly have no more information than one can find oneself.
The local CO-OP plan in Maine which is the lowest cost apparently has NO out of network coverage. Also no cardiac maintenance coverage, the number one killer of men in the USA. So as expected, only Anthem is a realistic ‘option’.
Oh, by the way, the Rx deductible of these ‘GOLD’ plans is about the entire cost of ONE YEAR of pure cash Rx cost from a reputable Canadian pharma for me and that is for Lipitor, Plavix, Metaprolol and Ramipril. Mind blowing considering there is a monthly premium ALSO.
Conclusion today, 10-29-13 ..
Only a SCHMUCK would click ENROLL right now.
They CANNOT be accurate and tell you your ACTUAL premium, and they cannot tell you what your tax credit will be.
What they have now is a pilot web test site with test data to display.
That works better than a month ago. But it has no meaning.
I have no where to go right now except OPT OUT, which at these prices is a no brainer.
My God! It's The Twilight Zone on crack.
ReplyDeleteI hope we don't get in a war.
ReplyDeleteThese people aren't with it enough to BE incompetent
They just don't seem to be able to engage. Like something is missing.
What?
Maybe I'M THE ALIEN HERE
That IS a doozy.
ReplyDeleteWowza.
Sir, just give us your $6000.
YOU HAVE TO PAY THE BILL TO FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU PAY THE BILL.
Now as an 'outsider' what happens if your current healthplan is cancelled before you could get in to the mob sorry Obama care?
ReplyDeleteI fear this won't be solved anytime soon, so what happens if you do need med care.
If you didn't have Canada as an option, you wouldn't even really have opt out as an option, would you?
ReplyDeleteIf I am right, then think about the implications of that for awhile.
while I appreciate your efforts
ReplyDeleteMAN you're polite!
Either that or you have a broken monitor screen right now...
Nicoenarg
Now, Pasto ...
ReplyDelete'If you didn't have Canada as an option, you wouldn't even really have opt out as an option, would you?'
I am the one who knocks
Need = Invention
Always.
Nico, you'd be surprised by how much urine a flat screen can take and still work
ReplyDeleteSome of those replies in your chat session are identical to the replies that I got in my chat session. In fact, none of the replies I got seemed to be responsive to what I was typing. Either it was an autoresponder, or else they have a handful of canned responses that they can spit back. If the later, it's probably something like this:
ReplyDeleteF1 = "How can I assist you today?"
F2 = "I apologize for the inconvenience."
F3 = "Give me a moment and I will research that for you."
F4 = "Thank you. One moment please while I look that up."
F5 = "Thank you for your interest in the Marketplace and for sharing your feedback. We apologize for any technical difficulties you may be experiencing as you use HealthCare.gov. We know this can be frustrating, and we’re working around the clock to improve HealthCare.gov and to make sure your experience with it is a positive one. I will make a note of your feedback. In the meantime, you can still complete an application right now by selecting the following link to download a paper application:
http://marketplace.cms.gov/getofficialresources/publications-and-articles/publications-and-articles.html. Choose the application that best fits your needs under “Marketplace Consumer Application.”"
Etc.
BTW, you and I both got the exact same "F5" response, word for word.