At the launch of the second open enrollment period on Nov. 15, it became clear that the Washington Health Benefits Exchange (WHBE) failed, once again, to work out all those “glitches” impacting the Healthplanfinder website. The latest glitch resulted in the cancellation of enrollment for 6,000 consumers. As SHIFT reported, state lawmakers are not happy with the latest blunder and, it appears, state Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler is not happy either.
The Seattle Times reports that Kreidler sent a “pointed letter” to Richard Onizuka, CEO of the WHBE. Kreidler “sought answers to 11 detailed questions about the current problem, as well as ongoing problems with invoicing and payments that have plagued the exchange since its launch more than a year ago.” Kreilder wrote,
“It is essential that we resolve these issues by Dec. 23, 2014 – the last day to sign up for Jan. 1 coverage… A public response to the following questions by Dec. 5 would go a long way to alleviating the anxiety expressed by consumers, insurers and legislators.
According to the Seattle Times, Kreidler was not notified about the second open enrollment glitch until WHBE issued a press release at 5 pm on Tuesday. Kreidler said, “I sit on the board. I would think I would get a little bit more of a heads up.”
Other members of the Exchange Board have expressed similar frustration over the exchange’s lack of transparency. SHIFT reported that board member and former GOP Rep. Bill Hinkle demanded that exchange staff stop patting each other on the back and making “excuses for the problems still plaguing thousands of accounts” at a meeting in August. Hinkle said, “It’s a culture of transparency I need… I want people to be accountable.”
Don Conant, also a board member, said he was notified about the exchange’s cancellation of 6,000 enrollments at 4 or 5 a.m. Tuesday. Hinkle expressed suspicion over Kreidler’s “pointed letter.” He told the Seattle Times, “I share a lot of his concerns. He is an asset for us in this struggle… But this is not some political football. What is the purpose of his issuing a letter other than political points?”
Given Kreidler’s headline grabbing scandal that ended in a $450,000 settlement at the expense of taxpayers, our state’s insurance commissioner certainly needs all the political points he can get.
Eastside Sanity says
Socialized health care has been a failure every time it has been imposed on civilized society. Jay Inslee and his merry band of liberal progressive democratic assclowns are stealing from us all, this is just another example of the urban madness we see daily from this state.