Government officials and medical providers are continuing to work virtually around-the-clock to eliminate any remaining snags in HealthCare.gov. An estimated two million Americans have signed up for the Affordable Care Act program, commonly referred to as Obamacare. Despite some initial glitches during its mid-fall launch, the website has seen a sudden uptick in the number of new signups. Experts suggest that the new challenge for the Obama administration is to continue to have smooth operations as more consumers sign up for the program prior to the March 31 deadline. Reports issued by medical booking services reflect a modest demand for medical services, the majority of which are for preventative care.
Although Obama officials note that some of the initial challenges with website crashes and jammed phone lines have been reduced, there are concerns regarding the impact that more signups will have by spring. As more consumers sign up for the program, a sudden increase of patients in the coming weeks may cause delays for patients who may not be covered due to ongoing errors. Some care providers have enacted delays, in order to prevent in lapse in coverage for consumers who recently signed up.
Central Ohio Primary Care is holding off on filing claims for patients who say they bought plans through the HealthCare.gov exchange. Dr. William Wulf, CEO of Central Ohio Primary Care, noted that they will temporarily delay filing claims for patients who used the Healthcare.gov exchange. He notes that this will reduce the likelihood for erroneous claims and denials for coverage. Wulf also anticipates that this delay will give medical providers more time to confirm enrollment and minimize billing errors.
Independence Blue Cross, based in Philadelphia, experienced an unprecedented number of calls on New Year’s Day from customers who are anxious to confirm coverage. The call center received as many as eight times the number of calls typically received, said Brian Lobley, senior vice president of marketing and consumer business. “We haven’t seen any systemic issues” of Independence’s newest members having trouble confirming their policies, he said.
Despite the increase number of calls to insurance providers, pharmacists mentioned that they have yet to see a similar surge in demand for prescription medicine during the first week of January.
“At this time, activity is fairly typical of what we experience each year when insurance changes take effect,” said Walgreen Co. spokeswoman Markeisha Marshall. “Nonetheless, we anticipate a surge of activity next week.”
