Wisconsin: Less than 50 people enroll for insurance through Exchange

GREEN BAY, Wis. (WFRV)--The newest Wisconsin enrollment numbers for the Affordable Care Act have been released.

As of HealthCare.gov’s launch on October 1s, less than 50 people have enrolled. 

In New York and California thousands of residents have successfully enrolled for insurance through their state’s Exchange Website but in Wisconsin it’s a different story.  

“It’s definitely frustrating,” said Mitch Ryan. 

Like many people, Mitch Ryan has not been able to get on the Exchange because of glitches in the Health Care website.

“This is something that should have been taken care of prior to being rolled out on October 1st,” said Ryan. 

According to the Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance less than 50 people have enrolled.  But some health clinics say it’s less than that.

Trish Sarvela with Partnership Community Health Center said she only knows of a few.

“Less than a handful,” she said.

At Partnership Community Health Center they communicate frequently with other county health clinics to see if anyone has signed up. 

“Every day there are emails that go out.  Do you know anybody who enrolled?  It’s at that level it’s such a countdown for us,” said Sarvela. 

So why such few success stories in Wisconsin?  Unlike New York and California that created state based exchanges through federal aid—Wisconsin did not.  While Trish says that’s no coincidence, Governor Scott Walker disagrees.

“More than anything it’s based on the Federal website and problems the Federal Government has had with that website. There’s no lack of any commitment from the state of
Wisconsin.  In fact, for months we’ve been working with over 1500 state agencies, hospitals, health care providers, community based organizations and public health departments, elected officials, reaching out to make sure the tools are in place,” said Gov. Walker.

Via: GreenBay.com
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Insurers Getting Faulty Data From U.S. Health Exchanges

Insurers are getting faulty and incomplete data from the new U.S.-run health exchange, which may mean some Americans won’t be covered even after they sign up for an insurance plan.

While it’s not clear how widespread the problem is, the reports from industry consultants are the first hint that the technical troubles faced by consumers trying to enroll in health plans under the Affordable Care Act may also be hitting the insurers. The companies are receiving electronic files that can’t open or have so much missing information on new enrollees they’re unusable, the consultants said.

Some insurers have been forced to fix entries by hand, said Bob Laszewski, an insurance-industry consultant based in Arlington, Virginia.

“If we don’t see substantial improvement by the end of this week, then I would throw up the yellow flag,” said Dan Schuyler, a consultant advising states and insurers on the exchanges. “If we don’t see it in the next two to three weeks, it’s time for red flags. The concern is some people could get to Jan. 1, and not have coverage.”

Since the exchanges opened on Oct. 1, consumers have struggled to access the online marketplaces, which have been overwhelmed by millions of visitors.

While capacity was added this past weekend to a system meant to serve people in 36 states, the federal website continued yesterday to deliver error messages to potential customers trying to create accounts and shop for health plans.

Via: Bloomberg News

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