The Hawaii Health Connector, the online marketplace created by President Barack Obama’s signature health care law, has extended through today the deadline to sign up for medical insurance to take effect Jan. 1.
The Connector said it was following a decision by the Obama administration to delay Monday’s deadline by one day to "accommodate the high demand in last-minute enrollments" for individuals and families seeking coverage on Jan. 1. It was the second time the deadline was pushed back. Enrollees originally had until Dec. 15 to enroll for coverage starting Jan. 1.
The Connector said it enrolled about 1,300 residents as of Saturday, up by about 200 from the day before.
"The Connector will work hard to allow any individual or family who was unable to select a plan due to system delays to enroll in a plan for coverage effective Jan. 1," the nonprofit said in a press release.
The White House announced Monday that Obama successfully enrolled in coverage through the new insurance marketplace as a symbolic step of his support for the fledgling exchanges where millions of Americans are urged to buy insurance or face tax penalties in 2014.
Some Hawaii residents reported being frustrated with the continuing problems at the Connector.
"I tried to sign up, and it took probably three to five minutes per screen and then it bombed out with file not found," said Dave Marquis, a 39-year-old engineer from Pahoa on Hawaii island whose policy was recently canceled for his family of five. "I called the support number provided, and no one answered after holding for about 15 minutes. I ended up just using Kaiser’s Web page. What a joke."
Six weeks after his first attempt to enroll his family in health insurance, Donald Mastriano, a 69-year-old Honolulu-based management consultant, finally was able to choose a health plan Friday for his wife, Maria, and 16-year-old son, Robert.
"I got up at a quarter of 6 in the morning Friday, and for the first time in over a week, I got in. I was shocked," he said, after spending 15 to 20 hours trying to get a policy since Nov. 8. "I think I signed up. I didn’t get a confirmation email back, but on the site I got to pick a plan. I have no clue about how I’m going to get billed or how I’m going to pay for it. On that website you never know what’s the next step."
Mastriano also signed up a doctor’s office client and its three employees but is still unsure whether the business will receive estimated tax credits. The Connector is the only place consumers and small businesses can apply for subsidies to reduce the cost of insurance.
"It was just as frustrating for the business side. I still don’t know if I got a discount. We supposedly qualified for a reduced price, but the invoice posted on the website didn’t include the discount," he said. "We just keep our fingers crossed that they follow through and they actually place the coverage for them because we’re canceling other plans. I’m holding my breath until the first of the year."
The enrollment extension is the latest in a series of postponed deadlines and delays that have marked the rollout of health care law. The federal government also extended the payment deadline for Obamacare plans to Jan. 10.
People who miss today’s deadline have until Jan. 15 to sign up for a policy that takes effect Feb. 1. Open enrollment runs through March.
The Connector, which got off to a slow start, was supposed to launch Oct. 1 but did not go live until Oct. 15 due to software problems that continue to plague the system. Many residents are now scrambling to sign up on the website, which was down for part of last week.
"I signed up to take advantage of the promise of our native son Barack and really wanted to use the Connector for the sake of the program," Mastriano said. "I feel sorry for the people that need insurance. It’s very frustrating to have to work through that system. To think they spent all this money and it was such a disaster and such a waste of money."
For enrollment questions, call the customer service support center at 877-628-5076.
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