Question of the year: Is anyone really insured?
Like most of you, I've bought insurance policies over the years. My understanding is that you are covered after you fill out an application and pass some kind of underwriting.
Most importantly, your application does not go to underwriting until you present the agent or company with a payment, usually the first month's premium.
We heard that many people went to the AHCA website over the last few days but some people are still in the dark, or don't know whether they have coverage or not according to CBS:
"The last minute spike in enrollments now puts pressure on insurance companies to process hundreds of thousands of new customers in a very short time.
Karen Defnall, who runs a daycare in central Virginia, said she thought she enrolled last week, but has no confirmation from the insurance plan. She said she's now concerned she won't have proof of insurance when her coverage is supposed to begin next week.
"What if a need comes up? What if January 2, I have an injury and I have to go to the hospital? They're going to ask for insurance verification, and I don't have anything to give them," she told CBS News.
"Will I be denied coverage? Will I be denied access?"
The surge of late signups is good for those patients who finally have insurance, but it is likely that the first few weeks of Obamacare will be confusing.
Some patients who think they have insurance may not get insurance cards on time, and they're afraid they might fall through the cracks.
This is incredibly irresponsible. How do you expose people to that kind of uncertainty?
Add to this is that the NY Post reports that more fees and costs are coming in 2014!
More "unaffordability" for the Affordable Health Care Act?
Wonder what kind of investigation would follow if a private insurance company that did this to applicants?
My guess is that there'd be bunch of state AG's and Insurance Commissioners chasing down the executives for an explanation!
P. S. You can hear CANTO TALK here & follow me on Twitter @ scantojr.