Health insurance enrollment is never an easy process, and if we learned anything from last year’s Obamacare enrollment fiasco, it should only be uphill from here.
But will it?
Obamacare health insurance enrollment opens up on November 15th.
Experts say it looks like the experience will be an improvement over last year. Since consumers encountered error messages and ridiculously long waits online, the administration is hoping this year’s enrollment will be smoother.
Health insurance enrollment on Healthcare.gov is on track to be easier to use and even a little quicker than last year. The website has even undergone more than five weeks’ worth of testing. A complete battery compared with just 10 measly days before last year’s embarrassing rollout.
There should also be a more streamlined process now for health insurance enrollment, as consumers will face as few as 16 screens of questions, compared with as many as 76 for people who applied for plans last year.
According to Bankrate.com, 7.3 million Americans who got covered through the exchanges during the last signup season should be able to find better plans that cost less this time around.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7m2gDTVulyE
However, if you’re intending to let last year’s plan renew automatically without revisiting the health insurance enrollment websites, there could be a few issues with cancelled plans and changes in doctor and hospital networks.
Stemming from last year’s issues, consumers might be a little leery of seeking health insurance enrollment through the government website or the exchanges.
Those advocating for Obamacare say this is no time to lose faith in the system.
“We really urge consumers to go to their marketplace and shop for new coverage,” says Rachel Klein, director of organizational strategies for Families USA, a nonprofit health care consumer group. “Not only are there new plans and prices available, but you also need to update your income information so you get the correct amount of tax credits.”
Good luck as you begin to think about this year’s health insurance enrollment!