Groups in Nebraska are promoting awareness of the state’s health insurance exchange
Nebraska’s health insurance exchange is again accepting enrollees, but awareness may still be a problem when it comes to getting people to use the exchange. Last year, informing consumers about the state’s exchange and the services it offers proved to be a difficult task. Apart from the exchange’s technical difficulty, a lack of awareness among consumers meant that the exchange saw lower enrollment numbers than had been expected. This year, community groups are taking a new approach to engaging consumers.
Community groups are pointing consumers to the state’s insurance exchange
Several community groups have been releasing awareness materials in order to spread the word about the state’s insurance exchange and its services. These groups are also holding craft shows and attending county fairs in order to engage those looking to purchase insurance coverage. While these groups cannot sell insurance coverage themselves, they can point consumers to the state’s exchange, where they may be able to find the coverage they are looking for.
Technical issues prevented many people from enrolling for coverage in the exchange last year
Several thousand people missed the first open enrollment period, largely due to the technical problems of the federal exchange network. Nebraska’s insurance exchange is managed by the federal government, and the federal exchange network had significant problems in accepting new enrollees last year. Since then, the government has been making improvements to the exchange network to ensure that the problems it experienced last year are avoided.
Insurance rates expected to go up by 20% next year
Community groups in Nebraska are looking for creative ways to engage consumers and encourage them to purchase health insurance coverage. Coverage sold through the state’s exchange may become more expensive next year. According to information released by the Nebraska Insurance Department, rates for policies sold through the exchange may grow by 20% next year. This rate increase may mean that some consumers have access to larger subsidies from the federal government. These subsidies are meant to make health insurance coverage more accessible to a wider range of consumers.