Hurry Up and Wait!!!

Since I am writing this article, and you are apparently reading this, the apocalypse did not occur on October1 with the opening of the Health Care Exchanges.  To hear the news pundits, we should be at DEFCON 5 by now.  But the reality is that even the debt ceiling, government shutdown, computer glitches nor the quickly forming Tropical Storm Karen out in the Gulf will stop the Affordable Care Act from moving forward.  It is the law and we the people are going to have to learn to deal with it until we collectively decide that it is untenable. 

There have been problems with the launch, but that is to be expected.  One of my favorite expressions to describe what getting on the ACA website is like is; It is like pushing a golf ball through a garden hose, it can be done, but it will take some effort and patience.  One issue that would really help the situation out is if all the agents out there would patiently wait for a week or two before logging into the system to see what the rates look like.  We are guilty of it here at Logan Lavelle Hunt  too, we are so anxious to find out how the new rates compare to the old way of doing things, we probably have 3 people on the site at any given time during the entire day.  The funny thing is they are getting error messages and roadblocks due to the servers being over run by demand to see BUT not to enroll.

So what should YOU do?  There is a book in the Old Testament called Job.  Now Job was a patient man.  His patience was rewarded at the end, just like our patience will be rewarded if we give this some time to work its way out.  The open enrollment period for this initial year lasts through March of 2014, so there is really no rush.  If you currently do not have insurance coverage, the new plans do not even begin coverage until January 1, 2014 so there is really no rush.  If you are on an employer plan and you want to compare pricing in the exchange, be patient, if your employers plan meets the criteria of a qualified affordable plan, you WILL NOT be eligible for subsidies, so there is really no rush. 

The best strategy for both businesses and individuals alike is to take October to educate yourself on what you should expect from this new paradigm, in early November pick up your phone, smart device, laptop computer, or login to your workstation and contact a reputable HEALTH INSURANCE AGENT!!!!  Navigators have little training, and no experience, so don’t waste your time.  Going it alone may be more your style, but please see my previous posts regarding the pitfalls of network restrictions and other hidden snares that you may step into.  If you run a small business with less than 100 employees, contact us at Logan Lavelle Hunt.  We may have a Trade Association Program that you fit into, and in the infamous words of Joe Walsh “Everybody’s so different, I haven’t changed”.  The association plans we have will move forward with little to no change as a result of the new regulations.

We will be able to assist you in getting an Exchange quote, an Off Exchange quote, an Association quote or an individual quote.  Logan Lavelle Hunt really has ALL possible options, which is a huge differentiator in the Health Insurance space today.  Hang in there, this will all work out the way it was intended.  It always does.

Peace