Reaching underserved populations who are newly qualified for coverage remains a major concern and challenge to advocacy groups like Families USA. For insurers and government officials, the target is healthy people who will help balance new risk pools.
Politico: Direct Sign-Up For Obamacare Subsidy Enrollees Still Bumpy
Nearly two-thirds of the way through the Obamacare sign-up season, most insurers are still having trouble with direct enrollment of individuals who qualify for subsidies. Upgrades have been promised to the feature of healthcare.gov designed to facilitate this process, and carriers and brokers are trying to stay optimistic that they'll come in time to help enroll a rush of applicants ahead of the March 31 deadline for 2014 coverage. "They've made a lot of progress, but there's still a lot to do. We're told all of the critical changes will be completed during this open enrollment period," said Michael Mahoney, a senior vice president with GoHealth, a private online insurance brokerage that is selling exchange plans (Norman, 1/24).
Politico: Getting Obamacare To The Hardest-To-Reach Americans
While Obamacare's botched rollout made enrollment difficult for many Americans, certain groups continue to face coverage barriers that extend far beyond a troubled website. In fact, the individuals involved -- from homeless people and recently paroled inmates to former foster-care children -- often aren't even aware they are eligible for benefits. Reaching underserved populations who are newly qualified for coverage under the law's Medicaid expansion remains a major concern and challenge, according to advocates speaking Saturday at the Families USA Health Action conference in Washington, D.C. (Kalter, 1/26).
