I tried to view the health plans available in my state’s Obamacare marketplace. I wanted to see the difference in plans and prices, I’m not ready to enroll in anything. What I found is that this can’t be done. You cannot get any information until you provide personal information and you can’t go anywhere without an e-mail address. That doesn’t seem user friendly or conducive to creating an informed consumer base.
I found the following on NJ Spotlight:
The New Jersey marketplace will start with 29 qualified health plans offered by three companies – Horizon, AmeriHealth and Health Republic Insurance of New Jersey, formerly known as Freelancers CO-OP of New Jersey, which is one of 24 Consumer Operated and Oriented Plans established in different states under the ACA. The federal government only deliver selected premium information yesterday, as well as average costs, but did not release the premiums for individual plans. Therefore, it’s not yet clear how the three insurers compare with one another.
New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute chief of staff Jeff Brown attributed some of the improvement to competition between these plans. He expressed hope that New Jersey rates, which are among the highest in the country, will improve once more insurers enter the marketplace.
“Competition between these plans”? A health plan is simply an option with variables associated with deductibles, co-pays, and provider networks. In essence you make a selection based on your willingness to accept part of the risk and the amount of freedom to select health care providers you need.
The real point here is there are only three insurance companies in the mix and these companies competed in NJ before Obamacare … where’s the beef?
QUINNSCOMMENTARY 