Many Still Can't Enroll on Health Site: Insurers

Many of HealthCare.gov's well chronicled problems have reportedly been fixed, but that doesn't mean it's ready for prime time, insurers say. The site's ability to send consumer data to insurance companies remains flawed, and "until the enrollment process is working from end to end, many consumers will not be able to enroll in coverage," says insurance trade group head Karen Ignagni. People have been calling insurers thinking they've signed up for a plan, but insurers have been missing some information—or lack any record of the transaction, the New York Times reports. Although insurers "don’t have the responsibility or the capability to fix the system, they’re reliant on it," says one consultant.

"Somehow people are getting lost in the process," says one exec. "If they go to a doctor or a hospital and we have no record of them, that will be very upsetting to consumers." Sometimes, it remains unclear how much coverage the government is paying for, and insurers are concerned about late payments from the government. Some insurers and states are pushing for a way to leapfrog the federal site, the Wall Street Journal reports. Connecticut, for instance, wants to rely on its own data for confirming enrollees' citizenship and other information. (More HealthCare.gov stories.)