Last October, a Texas-based insurance provider described the error-ridden Obamacare enrollment process and the effect it was having on insurance agents:
“The monotony of the system—it beats you down. It takes almost two hours per family and an hour for an individual. In the words of Sweet Brown, ‘Ain’t nobody got time for that.’”
The White House promises that this November, enrollment will be streamlined — HealthCare.gov will undergo a system-wide overhaul that will allow 70% of consumers to buy health insurance with a shorter, simpler online application form.
- The new application may have fewer pages and questions, enabling customers and their agents to sign up for health insurance with fewer screens and mouse clicks.
- It will be restricted to first-time applicants—not those who used the federal marketplace to buy health insurance last year—and works best for individuals with uncomplicated family situations.
The remaining 30% of enrollees will need to use the traditional marketplace online application due to “complicated household scenarios.”
The changes are now being “randomly released” to HealthCare.gov users, and will be fully rolled out Nov. 15.
