'Ignore the hype' about health care reform is good advice

While the rollout of the Affordable Care Act has not gone as smoothly as hoped for, the doomsday talk is something that should be considered with a good helping of skepticism.

That’s the word from insurers. "Don’t believe the hype: Health insurers think Obamacare is going to be fine" is the recent headline from the Washington Post. Bosses at some of the big-name companies said they expected the initial stages of health-care reform to be rocky. They stress patience.

That’s the same message that Commissioner Kreidler delivered to Congress about five weeks ago when invited to testify before a House health-care subcommittee.

And when asked Jan. 17 by the host of Northwest Now about any concern in our state about the enrollment of the "young invincibles" – people under 30 – Kreidler, the nation’s longest-serving elected insurance commissioner, again urged patience. Two to three years of experience are needed to make informed judgments, he noted.

Learn more about what the commissioner had to say during his interview about health-care reform at KBTC’s Northwest Now website..

Exchange launches new plan to reach young uninsured

The Seattle Times covers the Wahealthplanfinder's new plan to reach the young uninsured through a partnership with global concert promoter, Live Nation. Read about the plan to bring enrollment opportunities to concerts, festivals and other events across the state.

Enrolled in the federal High Risk Pool? You've got two extra months to find coverage

The federal government announced today that it was extending the deadline for people enrolled in the federally-run Pre-existing Condition Insurance Plan (PCIP) to find new coverage. Consumers in this program now have until March 31, 2014 to find new insurance.

If you're enrolled in this plan, expect to get a letter in the mail explaining the new deadline and details on cost-sharing.

Get more information about PCIP.

Even doctors want to know what health plans they are in

Striking a balance of price and reasonable access to quality medical care is an evolving issue nationwide, Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler told a leadership gathering of the American Medical Association on Jan. 10.

The key topic for the panel on Jan. 10: How insurance regulators, medical providers and insurance companies can guarantee patients access to quality care.

“Several of the larger health insurers kept their rates down by limiting their provider networks,” Kreidler said during a panel discussion at the AMA’s 2014 State Legislative Strategy Conference in Tucson, AZ.  “This has upset both consumers and providers.”

Kreidler said that he noticed a trend by insurance companies last summer to develop “narrower networks” of doctors and hospitals in the new health plans they offered for the first time on Washington’s Health Benefits Exchange, which manages the Washington Healthplanfinder.

That’s the online site where consumers can shop for 46 health plans and, in many cases, get subsidies to help pay for premiums.

Consumers can also choose from 51 plans in the outside market, where subsidies are not available. Although narrower networks are found in these plans as well, the concern is more prominent in the Exchange.

In some cases, insurers did not contract with doctors and hospitals that had traditionally been part of their networks. The new business model emerged as a way for insurers to keep premiums as inexpensive as possible for consumers.

This development has raised a red flag for consumers and doctors alike. Kreidler recognized the issue when insurers began filing new plans last year. His office is now developing further guidelines to make sure that consumers have reasonable access to services.

More transparency about which doctors and facilities are included in the plans is another key aspect – for both consumers and the medical community. 

His office has already received many comments from consumer groups, doctors, insurers, Indian tribes, legislators and more. Draft rules will be ready in February and will be open for more public scrutiny.

Kreidler noted that this is just a first step.

 “We want to make sure that we have up-to-date information so that consumers know which networks their doctors are in,” Kreidler said. “Doctors also want to know the networks they’re in. What we want to do is establish a common frame of reference for everyone.”

 

Kreidler to speak on health reform at American Medical Assn event

Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler will offer his views at the American Medical Association's State Legislative Strategy event Jan. 10 on how the Affordable Care Act is changing the way insurance companies and medical providers offer services to consumers.

He'll be joined by a panel of experts, including:

·         Dr. Barbara L. McAneny, AMA Board of Trustees (moderator)

·         Margaret E. O’Kane, president, National Committee for Quality Assurance

·         David L. Cusano, senior research fellow, the Center on Health Insurance Reforms, Georgetown University Health Policy Institute

·         Dr. Donald Liss, vice president, clinical programs and policy, Independence Blue Cross and member of the AMA Innovators Committee

 

Key topic for the group: How insurance regulators, medical providers and insurance companies can guarantee patients access to high-qualify care.

 

Learn more about the event.

I’m confused--do I have health insurance or not?

December was a very busy – and confusing – month for consumers who tried to sign up for health insurance through the Washington Healthplanfinder.

Ultimately, consumers had a deadline of 11:59 p.m. on Dec. 23 to, at a minimum, create an account in the Healtplanfinder. If you are one of those people, you have until Jan. 15 to complete an application, select a plan and pay the first month’s premium for coverage that will back-date to Jan. 1. For more information, refer to the Healthplanfinder’s frequently asked questions about retroactive enrollment.

If you did not meet the Dec. 23 deadline and you still need insurance, you have until Jan. 23 to select a plan and pay for it to have coverage effective Feb. 1.

Open enrollment for 2014 coverage ends on March 31. People eligible for Medicaid will be able to enroll through the Washington Healthplanfinder all year.

You can read more guidance from Washington’s Health Benefit Exchange in its Dec. 30 news release.

I paid my first health insurance premium, but I don’t have an ID card. What do I do?

Yesterday, consumers were able to start using their insurance under the Affordable Care Act. Washington consumers can sign up using Washington Healthplanfinder.

While the Insurance Commissioner doesn’t administer the Washington Healthplanfinder, our consumer advocates are hearing from a lot of people who have completed their application and paid their first month’s insurance premium, but haven’t yet received their new insurance card or plan information. People want to know what will happen if they need to use their insurance before they get their insurance card.

Medical providers need your insurance ID number to bill them for your care; they don’t need the actual card. If you paid but do not yet have an ID number, you should contact your insurance plan and ask for that information. Your plan can also tell you when your card will likely arrive. If you feel more comfortable having a card, you can ask your company to tell you how to print a temporary ID card.

If you are not sure how to contact your plan, our website has contact information for each of the insurance companies that sells plans through Washington Healthplanfinder.

If you pay out-of-pocket for medical care because you don’t have ID number, you can submit a reimbursement request to your insurance company.