Covered California, the health insurance exchange created in California as part of the Affordable Care Act, has had its fair share of problems in the last six months. The site had multiple technical issues after enrollment began in October 2013 that prevented consumers from enrolling. Reports of understaffed and uninformed insurance navigators and assisters were also common. In February 2014, Covered California removed the physician directory from its website, citing inaccuracies with the listings. An updated physician directory has not been posted on the website to date.
Additionally, people are still reporting difficulty finding a doctor due to inaccurate physicians’ lists, and some patients have reportedly been turned away from physician’s offices altogether. This has understandably left some patients frustrated and confused.
The best bet for patients fully enrolled in Covered California is to check with the insurance carrier directly to make sure a doctor is in-network, and, as a secondary measure, call the doctor’s office in advance to make sure the doctor accepts Covered California plans.
Strong Enrollment Numbers, Despite Problems
Despite the problems Covered California has faced, the state-run exchange has nonetheless received a large number of enrollees. Peter Lee, Covered California’s executive director, said recently in a blog post, “All told, nearly 1.4 million people enrolled in health insurance through Covered California, and another 1.9 million people enrolled in Medi-Cal. Together, more than 3.3 million Californians got covered thanks to the hard work of thousands of people in every community across the state.”
Californians with “qualifying life events” may still be eligible to enroll in Covered California during the special enrollment period. Contact Benefit Packages today to find out whether you qualify—we are a certified insurance agency authorized to help consumers enroll in plans through Covered California.