CBS MoneyWatch interviewed Manatt’s Joel Ario, a managing director with Manatt Health, for an article about what consumers should do if their health insurance company is pulling out of the exchange business next year.
Ario’s advice was four-fold: First, Ario advised consumers to watch their mail for a notice about coverage ending. Ario’s second piece of advice was not to wait for the government. As soon as consumers find out their coverage is ending, they should go to Healthcare.gov to research remaining options. The government will try to match consumers with plans, but it’s best to have some knowledge beforehand. Third, consumers should pay attention to “simple choice” offerings, which are intended to simplify and standardize options.
Finally, Ario advised consumers to be patient, because insurers may not be ready for the onslaught of new customers. Long hold times on call lines are expected, and carriers are encouraging consumers to sign up early. In addition, the government told insurers that it would ease up on enforcement of consumer service standards because of the anticipated high rate of new enrollees.
Read the article here.