Connector leader asks for patience

The head of the Hawaii Health Connector pledged to get medical plans and prices on the state’s health insurance exchange by Tuesday, two weeks after the Oct. 1 scheduled start of open enrollment.

Executive Director Coral Andrews apologized Wednesday for the software problems that continue to plague the website where consumers were supposed to be able to compare policies, get rates and enroll as of last week.

“We do ask that everyone be aware that this is a very large rollout. There will be bumps and we’re working to make sure we manage those bumps,” Andrews told legislators at a state Capitol briefing.

The Hawaii Health Connector, funded by $205 million in federal grants, is part of President Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act, which requires most Americans to have health insurance next year or face tax penalties.

The Connector website, which received 30,000 unique visitors in the first week, does not mention that consumers cannot find prices or enroll in policies due to the software problems.

“Shouldn’t there be a disclaimer on your website that says it’s under construction,” Rep. Angus McKelvey, chairman of the Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce, asked Andrews.

Andrews said that was a good suggestion.

Lawmakers pressed Andrews several times for a date by which consumers would be able to price and sign up for policies.

“The date that we’re working off of now is the 15th of October,” Andrews said. “We don’t want to go longer beyond that date.”

Andrews stressed that the exchange is more than just a website, calling it a dynamic and integrated IT system, with many linkages to Medicaid and federal hubs where information such as income and citizenship is validated.

The Connector also operates a call center (877-628-5076), which has been averaging about 500 calls a day.

Andrews said despite the delay in getting the website to work, consumers will have time to review policies and buy insurance before Jan. 1.

“While Oct. 1 was the kick-off date, it’s important they do understand that there is time,” Andrews said.

“Our desire is to enable Hawaii’s residents to obtain health insurance so they may see their health care providers in January.”

Andrews told lawmakers she did not want to push the website out before it was ready.

“While I realize Oct. 1 didn’t look exactly the way everyone wanted it to … we have an obligation to ensure that what we do bring forward is not going to cause more confusion and more disruption for the consumer.”

“It’s a very challenging task, this has been quite a journey,” Andrews said.

Before the start of the daylong Capitol briefing, Andrews issued a statement, saying, “The Hawaii Health Connector apologizes for any inconvenience the delay in plan presentation has caused consumers who want to shop for health insurance in the online marketplace. We won’t stop working until the doors to HawaiiHealthConnector.com are wide open, allowing every resident of Hawaii to have access to affordable coverage.”

Some frustrated consumers have turned to Hawaii Medical Service Association and Kaiser Permanente Hawaii, the only two insurers participating in the Hawaii Health Connector, for information. The insurance companies separately posted 2014 health plan rates last week for the online marketplace. However, consumers and small businesses must enroll on the exchange to apply for tax credits to lower the cost of health insurance.

Andrews said the Connector will provide a link to the HMSA and Kaiser websites as a “half step” to get information to consumers.

Barbara Coriell, former administrator of the Hawaii Employer-Union Health Benefits Trust Fund, who attended the briefing, said: “If they have (the rates), a ‘computer glitch’ would not stand in the way of letting people know what they are. The individual mandate is effective for 2014, so individuals need to enroll now.”

Consumers have until Dec. 15 to sign up for health insurance that takes effect on Jan. 1. Open enrollment runs through March.

States and the federal government have spent millions of dollars urging people to enroll on the new marketplaces nationwide, where small companies and individuals who buy their own insurance or have no coverage can compare premiums for different plans, calculate subsidies and buy policies.