OBAMAmess: Consumers Switching to Different Carrier Could End Up in Two Obamacare Insurance Plans

Technology gaps in HealthCare.gov are expected to cause consumers and insurers a fresh batch of complications after the site reopens for health-plan enrollment this month, insurance-industry officials say.

Millions of Americans are expected to buy or change plans using the federal portal when the second year of enrollment under the Affordable Care Act begins Nov. 15. But some back-end parts of the system have had problems and others haven’t been built, triggering difficulties that could affect tens of thousands of people when new plans kick in next year.

Consumers who bought policies on the exchange for 2014 and switch to a different insurer for 2015 could end up enrolled in two plans, with bills for both, in January, according to two industry officials. Others who stopped paying premiums for their plans this year could find themselves automatically re-enrolled in those plans for 2015 regardless of whether they want them.

Meanwhile, lower-earning Americans who receive federal tax credits to offset the cost of their coverage might not get a form they need to file their 2014 taxes because the federal government has an incorrect address for them, these officials say.

The problems, while expected to cause headaches for shoppers, insurance companies and the Obama administration, aren’t likely to result in the disastrous complications that crippled the first year of health-law enrollment. They won’t fully surface until next year, when bills and tax information begin rolling in for exchange enrollees.

The issues are expected to primarily affect those who enrolled in 2014 plans through HealthCare.gov, a group that totals about five million people. Insurance industry officials said they can’t predict exactly how many consumers will experience the problems, but they could reach tens of thousands of people, one official said. The scope of the problems depends in part on how many people follow the advice of the administration, consumer groups and some insurers, who are encouraging consumers to comparison-shop and switch plans if they can get a better deal.

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