Your Opinion Wanted: Health Insurance Consumers

[Jean]

FRIENDS, PLEASE GIVE ME YOUR OPINION:

I'm just checking the pulse of the individual/family health insurance buying public who are finding it difficult to navigate their 2016 health insurance options and don't want deal with a poorly trained Navigator from www.healthcare.gov.

If you had the opportunity to attend a live training session online -or- in a class room type of environment with computer access, led by a leading health insurance expert who could walk you through the plan comparison/application process would you attend? Please keep the following in mind.

1. It would be at no cost to you.
2. you would be online or in a room with a dozen other individuals in the same situation.
3. You would get your individual questions answered, and you would also have the opportunity to listen to questions asked by others in the group.
4. It would take approximately 2 hours to go through the entire process (but much less time than it would take you to do the process on your own.)

This is not a solicitation for the sale of any product, service or device. It is only meant to take the pulse of the general public who primarily are "on their own" with regards to purchasing health insurance either "on or off" the health insurance exchange. In a recent study published by the Kaiser Foundation, there are NOT enough people/programs that can handle the influx of questions that the general public has regarding their health insurance options. I'm trying to determine if consumers would be willing to seek that help in a group setting, rather than a one of one setting, if the group setting could meet or exceed their needs.

[Virginia Foulk]

Thanks to Kraft-Heinz for forcing the closing of Oscar Mayer facility in Madison, WI and Kraft cancelling the Healthcare offered to retirees, my husband and I will be looking into individual policies. After 43 years with OM, and a very good retiree insurance coverage we've had for the last 10 years, we now have to go through One Exchange from Tower Watsons. 

Since it is my group insurance policy covering both myself and my husband I had to sit in a 4 hour group listening session. We got to write our questions, and turn them in at the end. There was a few minutes of opportunities to talk with the presenters, but not much. I left thoroughly disgusted.  Then I had to make an appointment from myself and my husband to talk to One Exchange about what we'd like to have. Not a policy for both, but we were going to need one for each of us  So the appointment was made, but it was 2 months out, Nov. !4. And we have to decide which insurance policies to go with. Our current policy will be ended Dec 31, 2015.  And oh, we won't even know what our premiums will be until after we have signed up. How nice.

[Jean]

Thanks for the information Virginia. Sorry to hear about your healthcare dilemma. I hope you find affordable coverage.

[Bantiarna Drucht]

The posted proposal of a quick and informative session to assist those looking for coverage when loosing existing  insurance appears well organized, of course having Insurance personal to answer questions is much better than an unskilled stranger with no clearance in privacy procedures or responsibility for any nefarious activity and with out surprise would sooner sell your intimate info to the dark side than  look at you.....but it is only the beginning of this, of what I like to call Obama Cruel Care.

In the state of WI for example as with all other states, the exchanges that were funded with tax payer money are failing,a harsh reminder of Big Government choosing what businesses will be the winner and looser in the scheme of things.

https://www.healthinsurance.org/wisconsin-state-health-insurance-ex...

Promises that funding for states to expand Medicare and Medicaid from Big Government was a true statement..... but the fine print is that the funding will stop after about 2-3 years and soon after the states will left with a huge bill to the state's budgets with no stop in the money bleed in site. 

So, when anyone goes to the quick info and sign up sessions being offered by Senior Centers, Pharmacies, State's Offices for Insurance regulations ask as many questions as you can of what exchanges are still available, of what exchanges that are left, how viable are they for the long run, if an exchange goes belly up, what provisions are there in moving to yet another exchange quickly to avoid lapse in coverage......etc..... the list can gone on and hope that true answers and not smoke up your keyster is what you get. 

Add too, that your monthly payment is one thing, your deductible is another, co pay for office visits and medication is another cog in the hamster wheel that this so called affordable care act has revealed itself not to be affordable and is truly a cruel act perpetrated by this Administration and its minions.

My husband and I were looking to retire within the next 5 years it is evident that in doing so there are piles of issues we have to consider, issues that are of normal considerations in preparing to take the plunge of yet another chapter in life's journey, but under the issues of now..... low interest rates, a volatile market,fear for out living our money and too face what health care will truly be available to us.  Medicare will need a face lift and the idea that retirees can go to any doctor or hospital...but read the fine print, the teeny tiny letters or the quick statement on tv about additional supplemental coverage you can purchase only covers hospitals and doctors THAT TAKE MEDICARE, for I know my own physician is now going the way of Connoisseur Medicine and adding a Nurse Practitioner to take patients that don't revert to the new format.  Doctors are now not taking on new patients for the mounds of paper work, I have looked to change physicians... tough stuff out there. 

So..... the idea that within 2 hours, assisted by Insurance carriers in choosing the best plan, and the hope that subsidies will be a help....sounds fine in general in getting the coverage needed when tossed out to the wolves, but always keep this in mind..... CAVEAT EMPTOR  .....

Your life and the live of your family depends on it in so many ways

[Jean]

Thanks for your reply. I am also sorry to hear your struggles finding affordable coverage. I also understand your skepticism.  However, the fact of the matter is, Obamacare has left us in a situation where we are being thrown to the government wolves and insurance companies with no room for unbiased guidance and direction from the true professionals who have been working with the consumers long before Obamacare came or the ACA became law. The problem is, the need to reach people is great, and due to time constraints, there is a limited number of people and time to reach out to people individually. That's why I asked this question on whether people would have concerns if they are in a group setting. Keep in mind that there are no medical questions asked in the application process, so although I understand everyone's privacy concerns, regarding medical history or other personal information, that information would not be shared with anyone in the group. If you have ever done an online meeting or a computer training class, only you see your computer screen. So, the fact that others are asking questions, or that the class may be online, doesn't mean that you will have to be sharing private information with other people.