Though consumers will be able to have a look at the types of health plans that will be sold over the insurance marketplace website and they will be able to calculate overall out of pocket costs to help them to decide which plans will be most appropriate for their needs, one new tool is not yet available.
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The move comes as a few Americans who signed up for health insurance using the government’s online marketplace complain that their health expenses are significantly more expensive than they thought they would be.
The revised site, Healthcare.gov, goes live Sunday so customers can preview a few of their options, but they will not be able to purchase plans until November. 1, when open enrollment begins.
Officials from the Department of Health and Human Services announced that Sunday would represent the opening of the health insurance exchange site for people who were interested in browsing its faster design that is meant to be easier to use.
Kevin Counihan, Healthcare.gov’s CEO, says that shows it pays to shop around.
About 11.7 million people picked policies a year ago on HealthCare.gov and state-run websites.
Exchange officials have delayed a tool that would allow consumers to check which physicians and medications are covered under selected health plans. The consumers will be advised to check the accuracy of the information with the plans.
Eligibility information will be accessible immediately so consumers know whether they can get tax credits and cost-sharing subsidies to buy plans on the exchange, and for how much. No”, admits Counihan. “Are there going to be bumps?
“Absolutely.” He said, however, that the agency has taken consumer feedback seriously, aiming to make shopping on the site more personal, and providing more guidance so that people might make decisions about their health plans that have the most value.
Among the improvements are the addition of screens on HealthCare that will make it easier for returning customers to find their existing plan and compare it with other available plans.
The information would help consumers decide what the best value will be for them.
According to Lori Lodes, communications director at CMS, the website also will tailor information to consumers based on whether a user is a returning or first-time applicant. Burwell noted that the price of insurance or the perceived price remains a big concern for many uninsured people, and many of them are also either unfamiliar with Obamacare subsidies that could benefit them, or are unsure of how they work. Lodes said officials have validated just more than half of the data provided by insurers so far, noting that the data “need…to be better”.
In a video meeting with reporters on Friday, Andy Slavitt, acting administrator for HHS’ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, said he was “very confident” that the insurers’ data would be fully provided.
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“We’re really moving into step three in our evolution”, Mr. Counihan said. Plans change each year, with premiums rising in a few states, and as people’s medical conditions or family’s life situations change.
