HealthCare.gov has come under scrutiny as a new open enrollment period approaches
The federal HealthCare.gov website may not live up to expectations by the time open enrollment for U.S. health insurance exchanges begins again this year. The website is set to begin testing with insurance companies on October 7, but it has been crippled by severe glitches and other issues that could prevent it from working efficiently. If the site’s problems are not resolved, it may not be able to serve as an adequate way for people to enroll for insurance coverage.
Federal insurance exchange network has been crippled by technical difficulties
HealthCare.gov serves as a portal for insurance exchanges throughout the country that are managed by the federal government. These exchanges are meant to provide consumers with access to affordable insurance policies, but many people have had trouble enrolling in these exchanges. This is because most federal exchanges have become crippled by technical problems that make it impossible for people to enroll for coverage or provide the information they need for the application process. State-run exchanges, which are in the minority, have avoided some of these issues.
Federal exchanges come under fire for their apparent inability to protect consumer information
The Government Accountability Office has raised serious questions concerning the capabilities of HealthCare.gov, as well as its ability to protect consumer information effectively. Exchanges have been criticized in the past for lacking the security measures needed to keep consumer information safe. The Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services, which manages the exchanges, has been working to resolve these issues over the past year.
Federal government may take a slower approach to enrolling people in exchanges
Some 8 million people have enrolled in health insurance exchanges since last year’s open enrollment period. While this can be considered a success, many of these people could lose their insurance coverage because of the technical faults of exchanges. The federal government is expected to take a slower approach to enrolling people into exchanges, preferring low enrollment rates over the next few years rather than a massive push to get everyone in the country insured.
