The second post of our private exchange week comes from another HR tech rookie, Eric. Eric is also a Project Coordinator on our team and new to the HR technology industry.
It’s that time of year again. Everyone is talking about it at work. People are comparing their choices and allocating some of their hard earned cash into a “pool.” Some are even comparing options side-by-side to see which of their selections will make it to their “Final Four.”
Wait, are we thinking of the same thing? I’m talking about choosing benefits via a private exchange. Everyone at work here talks about it. Isn’t that how it is everywhere? No?
**Side note: My Missouri Tigers aren’t in the NCAA Tournament this year, so I avoid “Bracket Talk” as much as I can.**
All jokes (and March Madness!) aside, we’ve all been hearing about Healthcare.gov for a while now. From the athlete-endorsed commercials on TV, to the extreme visibility of its early problems, we’ve all been exposed to it. With the deadline to enroll fast approaching, I thought it would be appropriate to take a look at the process from a user’s point of view.
First, let me explain that I don’t actually need insurance. Being a recent college grad, I am still insured under my parents’ insurance plans provided by their companies. That being said, I wanted to see what it was like for someone to use the site and evaluate just how much it would cost me to “get covered.”
Being a part of this team for over a year now, I have seen a great number of vendors and demos of the systems they provide to employers. I was eager to see how HealthCare.Gov would compare.
The overall experience was a good one. At a basic level, the look and feel of the site was clean, modern and simple. I could easily navigate from one step to the next (the extra-large font was a partial contributor to that). If I was unsure about any part of the process, there was easy access to help (quick explanations, access to hotline, etc.). Help that may have been needed as there was plenty of jargon sprinkled throughout the website, most of it used to assist in educating me on my healthcare choices.
It was interesting to compare this experience to other ones I’ve had, noting the trends in the marketplace. With some of the major Benefits Administration technology vendors, there is a clear trend in video education and “avatars” to help guide employees through benefits enrollment. There was nothing of the like on HealthCare.Gov. If this is a trend popular enough for employer groups to buy in to, why isn’t it happening on an individual basis?
While the lack of the education tools is concerning, I did appreciate the simplistic approach to the plan comparisons. I answered a few questions about my health and family (non-smoker, household income, etc.) and was given a total of 17 plans for comparison.
Pretty easy on the eyes, as you can see. Much like a system would be set up for an employer, I can only see what plans I am eligible for based on my responses. As a professional in the world of employee benefits, this is great. I can easily see what my options are and how much it is going to cost me all laid out in a side-by-side comparison.
But what about everyone else?
How would one truly know which plan is best for them? Sure we can see which option will cost the least, but what if I frequent the ER? What if I’m a diabetic with a long list of prescriptions? What if heart disease runs in my family and I need to look into preventative care?
This would be my biggest takeaway from the HealthCare.Gov experience: The initial “decision support” is there, but it raises concern that there are no recommended options based on my answers. It seems to be driving folks to the cheapest health insurance option, but that may not always be the best option…
All in all, the flow of the enrollment process moves smoothly. It didn’t take me too long to get to the plan comparisons. After answering questions to verify my identity, my application was approved immediately, and I got to quickly analyze plans. Most users can sympathize with the time consideration while having to weigh an important decision.
If you have yet to sign up for coverage and need to, the last day to do so with HealthCare.Gov has been extended. The deadline was previously March 31, 2014, but has been extended indefinitely for those that need more time. If you’ve checked out HealthCare.Gov yourself, please share your thoughts on the system by commenting below.