While America was resting from its labors, the countdown to Obamacare began.
In just 27 days, the Obamacare exchanges are scheduled to open, and people who don’t get health insurance through their employers (or through the government already) will start buying coverage.
Sixteen states are doing their own insurance exchanges, while the federal government is running exchanges in 34 states.
Many states have been aggressively advertising and promoting their exchanges. But there is still a lot we don’t know. Several questions we’re still asking:
How many insurers will participate?
So far, the number of insurance companies offering plans through the exchanges varies widely from state to state. And in some, it’s nearly chaotic. Consider Mississippi. Heritage expert Alyene Senger details that state’s woes: Initially, only two insurers applied to offer coverage in the exchange—and they weren’t even going to provide coverage for the entire state. Humana later said it would provide coverage to the uncovered counties. But it remains that the vast majority of Mississippians in the exchange will only be able to do business with one insurer.
Which doctors and hospitals will be covered?
Exchange customers may not have access to the same doctors and hospitals that other patients have. Senger writes that “limited networks have resulted in major hospitals being excluded in California’s exchange.”
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