Locally, state's health care exchange going well

Nationally, the Affordable Care Act’s website problems have caused numerous headaches for consumers — and politicians.

Locally, however, it’s a different story.

Three area nonprofits are trying to guide consumers through the state’s health plan exchange.

Two say things are going well. The third is stuck in limbo waiting for state action.

“It’s going great,” said Steve Wood, community health coordinator for ACR Health where state-funded navigators have helped 120 people sign up for health coverage in the agency’s nine-county service area since the state health plan exchange opened Oct. 1. And the nonprofit has 200 appointments scheduled this month, he said.

“It’s really going quite well,” agreed Diana Haldenwang, executive director of the Mohawk Valley Perinatal Network. The network’s state-funded navigators have had more than 100 appointments with people looking at plans, helped more people fill out paper applications for Medicaid, fielded more than 450 phone calls and scheduled another 100 appointments in Oneida and Madison counties, she said.

“We knew we’d be busy, but I think I was a little surprised by the sheer volume of people and the calls that we’re getting,” Haldenwang said.

At the Utica Community Health Center, though, things are moving slowly. The center mostly serves patients without insurance who should benefit the most from the Affordable Care Act and the tax subsidies it offers to help people buy health plans, said Janine Carzo, chief operations officer of Regional Primary Care Network, which oversees the center.

The act requires everyone to enroll in a health plan by Jan. 1.

So far, though, the center’s federally funded certified application counselors have helped only a few consumers. That’s because one counselor, who trained the first week of October, didn’t receive her portal password from the state until Nov. 1, Carzo said. She did help a few people who signed onto the exchange on their own, but the center was waiting for the password to advertise the service.

The staff has a list of patients who should qualify for Medicaid under its expansion next year and many other patients will qualify for subsidies, she said. Now, the advertising will begin.

A second counselor, who was hired in September, didn’t get into a state training session until this week and will have to wait for her password, Carzo said.

For Haldenwang, the biggest drawback has been consumer confusion. A few seniors have called, not realizing people on Medicare can’t use the exchange, she said.

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