The Affordable Care Act got off to a rough start in Oklahoma and most other states Tuesday, with technical glitches and long waits for help enrolling in plans under the new law.
Many visitors to the federal government's website www.healthcare.gov trying to enroll for health insurance were stalled early in the process of creating an account. Among the issues: Boxes designed to let users select security questions did not work.
Consumers trying to get help over telephone lines or via live chat online had long waits. An operator on the website's live chat function said the site was under a "heavy load" and to try again later.
Some users received messages that the website was not available due to demand.
Federal officials pleaded for patience, saying the site had received nearly 3 million visits since midnight Tuesday.
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"This is Day 1 of a six-month process," said Marilyn Tavenner, administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the federal agency charged with implementing the law. "We are in a marathon, not a sprint and we need your help."
During a conference call with reporters, Tavenner said consumers had enrolled in health care through the site Tuesday but numbers were not available.
The law requires that all Americans have health insurance, unless they fall into an exempt category.
Uninsured people have until March 31 to obtain coverage if they want to avoid a fine. Consumers who want coverage to begin Jan. 1 must sign up by Dec. 15.
People who receive health insurance through their jobs or a government program such as Medicare are in compliance with the law and don't need to take any action.
Oklahoma is one of 36 states where the federal government will run or help run the exchange, a website where consumers can shop for health insurance.
Kevin Bohlander, 29, said he has no insurance and has run up large medical bills going to emergency rooms for help with his seizure disorder. Bohlander said he is very interested in being able to buy coverage through the law.
He attended a health fair sponsored by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma Tuesday and began the enrollment process.
"Now that there's something that they say is going to be affordable, I can have insurance. I can actually have a primary care doctor," Bohlander said.
Oklahoma has about 650,000 uninsured residents, ranking No. 5 nationally in the number of uninsured. The law includes subsidies for people making between $11,490 and $45,960 per year for an individual. Individuals making close to the poverty level in Oklahoma could qualify for free coverage under some plans.
Melissa Parchman, owner of Magoon & Associates agency in Tulsa, said she hopes uninsured people take their time reviewing available plans before making a decision. Consumers should examine issues such as which doctors are in a plan's network and whether prescriptions have a separate deductible, she said.
Parchman called Tuesday's technical problems "disappointing but not anything that we should not have anticipated."
"I wish that we would just declare the month of October as an education month," Parchman said.
President Barack Obama said during a televised appearance Tuesday that the new health care program is "open for business." Obama said the website was running slowly on its first day because of high demand for what the law offers.
Obama said a government shutdown sparked by Republican opposition to the health care law would not stop enrollment in the plans. The president signed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act into law three years ago and it has been upheld by the Supreme Court.
Oklahoma insurance companies offering coverage through the exchange urged patience as the complicated, nationwide system gets underway.
"With a new program of this magnitude, it is not unexpected to have system glitches initially," Ashley Hudgeons, a spokeswoman for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma, said in an email.
The company is one of five offering coverage through Oklahoma's exchange. The others are CommuintyCare, Coventry Health Care, GlobalHealth and Aetna.
"As the Marketplace is new for everyone, we expected that and are prepared for the volume of activity to ebb and flow during the enrollment period, for any number of reasons. Overall, consumers working with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma are experiencing a relatively smooth process on our website where they can begin the enrollment process, and we are working to manage any disruptions that may occur."
Alison Williams, a spokeswoman for the Oklahoma Primary Care Association, said "navigators" were busy helping consumers with questions about the law Tuesday. The association received a federal grant to train navigators, specialists who help people enroll in coverage under the law.
"We have noticed some issues with the site. It appears to be that way across the country," Williams said in an email.
"So far, we've noticed a trend of many consumers using the website first to get more information, with expectations that questions will significantly increase once consumers have had the opportunity to browse online Navigators here today are exclusively focusing on assisting consumers."
Monthly premium examples
Data released by the federal government show a range of monthly premiums for Oklahomans, depending on residence, age and smoking status. Here are examples of monthly rates in the Tulsa area, before subsidies. Subsidies can dramatically reduce premiums, depending on income.
| Age: 30 | Age: 45 | Age: 60 | |
| Bronze: $133 | Bronze: $170 | Bronze: $319 | |
| Silver: $190 | Silver: $241 | Silver: $454 | |
| Gold: $209 | Gold: $266 | Gold: $501 |
Source: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
Ziva Branstetter 918-581-8306
