Web glitches hurt Obamacare-created health insurer

By: Priyanka Dayal McCluskey
　
An experimental new health insurance company created under a provision of Obamacare — with
$88.5 million in federal funds — is now struggling to enroll members because of the state’s broken Health Connector website.
"It’s not a pleasant turn of events, but it is what it is, and we’re dealing with it," Minuteman Health CEO Thomas Policelli said. "We certainly look forward to when it’s fixed."
Minuteman, which bills itself as a low-cost health plan that will be run by its members, has only managed to pick up a few hundred customers so far through the state Health Connector.
"It’s certainly far fewer than we would have hoped," Policelli said.
The Connector website is supposed to allow Bay Staters to enroll in health plans as required by Obamacare. It was revamped to comply with the federal law and has since been riddled with problems. Website woes are also frustrating bigger, more established insurers, who have redeployed staff and even hired temps to work on enrollment.
"It does create the potential that other projects may be placed on hold, but we all recognize the importance of this and know that members come first," said Eric Linzer of the Massachusetts Association of Health Plans.
Connector spokesman Jason Lefferts said: "We participate in twice-weekly all-carrier conferences, weekly one-on-one meetings with each carrier, and staff are constantly working with carriers every day."
An emergency review of the glitch-plagued Connector website is scheduled to be completed today.
Source Boston Herald