Website of state health insurance exchange delayed
Oregon’s health insurance exchange, like others throughout the U.S., is scheduled to begin open enrollment on October 1 of this year. There is a problem with the exchange, however, according to state officials. The exchange, which is officially called Cover Oregon, is meant to serve as a digital marketplace through which consumers can find affordable health insurance coverage suitable to their needs. The problem is, however, that this exchange will not be able to be accessed online.
Delay meant to resolve issues of website before it goes live
While Cover Oregon is currently slated to begin open enrollment on time, the exchange’s website is not expected to be operational until the end of October. This problem is not accidental as state officials have opted to limit access to the exchange for as much as four weeks in order to solve any issues that the website may have. The aim is to ensure that consumers have a favorable experience when using the exchange to find health insurance coverage and to ensure that these consumers are not faced with problematic glitches that could lead them to paying more for coverage than necessary.
1,800 individuals trained to help consumers find appropriate health insurance coverage
Oregon has trained more than 1,800 individuals to help consumers enroll in Cover Oregon and find health insurance plans they need. Many of these people are health insurance navigators, whose primary purpose is to direct consumers to policies that are suited for their particular medical issues, concerns, and interests. The majority of those trained to work with the Oregon exchange come from non-profit groups that act as consumer advocates in the health care field.
Delay is not expected to negatively effect enrollment
Oregon officials do not expect that delaying access to the Cover Oregon website will have an adverse impact on enrollment. Enrollment will begin on October 1, but consumers can enroll into the exchange as late as December 15. State officials claim that the delay will have no impact on health insurance policies sold through the exchange and all such policies will become active on January 1, 2014, per the requirements of federal law.