Software design, not just demand behind health exchange problems.

[bubbabgone]

Usually sites use such personal info for password recovery for when/if you forget your password.

Right ... that's why for 1st time in I'm kinda surprised they're saying questions about your credit are for verification.
Sounds more like they're gathering data for demographics.

 

[poweRob]

Right ... that's why for 1st time in I'm kinda surprised they're saying questions about your credit are for verification.
Sounds more like they're gathering data for demographics.

Can't get away from credit checks anymore. Personally I think credit ratings and all those agencies should be blown up fight club style.

 

[sangha]

I said to be used if you had been there earlier and answered the question and others once already. Then favorite color could be used to verify you're the same person.

And the question remains ... how would the Government already know the answers to what they were asking you.

But anyway ... If I set up a fake site and asked you those same questions, would you answer?

Ahh, I see.

You mean like at sites for banks and stuff, where they ask you to give "secret" answers to questions like "What was the name of your first pet?"

No, they weren't questions like that. As I said, they seemed to be questions that were based off of a credit report.

 

[sangha]

Right ... that's why for 1st time in I'm kinda surprised they're saying questions about your credit are for verification.
Sounds more like they're gathering data for demographics.

I assume they are doing it to prevent John Smith from pretending he is Robert Brown and screwing with Robert Browns' health care.

 

[sangha]

BTW, I logged on this morning and completed all the questions. Now I'm able to access the plans. They cost between $307 - $850 with varying deductibles, coverage, etc. There are a total of 98 plans available for purchase.

 

[bubbabgone]

Ahh, I see.

You mean like at sites for banks and stuff, where they ask you to give "secret" answers to questions like "What was the name of your first pet?"

No, they weren't questions like that. As I said, they seemed to be questions that were based off of a credit report.

Well I suppose if they were questions about data you'd expect the Federal Government to already reasonably know the answers to that's one thing but looking to you to volunteer information about yourself would be disturbing.

 

[Mycroft]

Usually sites use such personal info for password recovery for when/if you forget your password.

When I set up my answers to security questions, I always give answers that have nothing to do with me...in fact, I try to make them as outrageous as I can.

For example:

Q. Favorite pet.
A. Elephant.

Q. Mother's maiden name.
A. Kadiddlehopper.

I can just imagine the answer I'd give if they asked something about my sexual preferences. LOL!!

 

[sangha]

Well I suppose if they were questions about data you'd expect the Federal Government to already reasonably know the answers to that's one thing but looking to you to volunteer information about yourself would be disturbing.

I guess I'm not surprised that a system designed to determine if people qualify for financial assistance has access to people's credit reports.

I didn't read the documents about data access, privacy, etc but I assume there's something in there about their accessing such info.

 

[specklebang]

BTW, I logged on this morning and completed all the questions. Now I'm able to access the plans. They cost between $307 - $850 with varying deductibles, coverage, etc. There are a total of 98 plans available for purchase.

How "old" were you when you "applied"? I used 64 which is the cut-off. I have to say the prices don't seem all that reasonable, particularly compared to Medicare. You're over 65 (in real life) if memory serves....I expected the prices to be lower. What coverage did you get for the $307 plan?

 

[bubbabgone]

BTW, I logged on this morning and completed all the questions. Now I'm able to access the plans. They cost between $307 - $850 with varying deductibles, coverage, etc. There are a total of 98 plans available for purchase.

Oh man you'll be sorry you posted that ... I gives me a whole new universe of questions to ask.
I assume you had a target premium & deductible range from which to select your coverage, right?
Given that, did you find that there were some significant items covered within your selected plan that you really didn't like having to paying for?
Did you actually enroll or was this adventure purely investigative?

 

[bubbabgone]

When I set up my answers to security questions, I always give answers that have nothing to do with me...in fact, I try to make them as outrageous as I can.

For example:

Q. Favorite pet.
A. Elephant.

Q. Mother's maiden name.
A. Kadiddlehopper.

I can just imagine the answer I'd give if they asked something about my sexual preferences. LOL!!

I do that too and then I forget what the hell I said afterwards.

 

[sangha]

How "old" were you when you "applied"?

It didn't ask for my age. It asked for my birth date, which I answered honestly. I do not yet qualify for medicare

I used 64 which is the cut-off. I have to say the prices don't seem all that reasonable, particularly compared to Medicare.

It's not supposed to be better or more affordable than Medicare, which is relatively affordable.

You're over 65 (in real life) if memory serves....I expected the prices to be lower. What coverage did you get for the $307 plan?

I'm mid-50's and I haven't had the chance yet to do any intensive analysis of the various plans but the $307 plan had a high deductible and paid at 50% for most in-network services. No dental.

I'll add that the premiums are the "full price" and are not adjusted for the assistance one might be eligible for (though I doubt that I will be eligible) so for many people, the price they pay may very well be much less.

 

[polgara]

When I set up my answers to security questions, I always give answers that have nothing to do with me...in fact, I try to make them as outrageous as I can.

For example:

Q. Favorite pet.
A. Elephant.

Q. Mother's maiden name.
A. Kadiddlehopper.

I can just imagine the answer I'd give if they asked something about my sexual preferences. LOL!!

Now THAT was funny! You brightened my day! :thumbs:

Greetings, Mycroft. :2wave:

 

[sangha]

It didn't ask for my age. It asked for my birth date, which I answered honestly. I do not yet qualify for medicare



It's not supposed to be better or more affordable than Medicare, which is relatively affordable.



I'm mid-50's and I haven't had the chance yet to do any intensive analysis of the various plans but the $307 plan had a high deductible and paid at 50% for most in-network services. No dental.

I'll add that the premiums are the "full price" and are not adjusted for the assistance one might be eligible for (though I doubt that I will be eligible) so for many people, the price they pay may very well be much less.

Oh man you'll be sorry you posted that ... I gives me a whole new universe of questions to ask.

LOL!

I assume you had a target premium & deductible range from which to select your coverage, right?

Yes, there are filters one can use to limit the # of plans you are shown. You can filter by premium range and search for plans where your doctor is part of their network. I don't see a filter for deductible, co-pays, etc

Given that, did you find that there were some significant items covered within your selected plan that you really didn't like having to paying for?

Don't understand your question

Did you actually enroll or was this adventure purely investigative?

Investigative

 

[polgara]

Then why aren't you bitching about your Governor ****ing up the state's site? Oh that's right... he's a Republican.

Why would anyone blame any State's governor? Chances are excellent that they're not the one doing the programming! Sheesh!

Greetings, poweRob. :2wave:

 

[sangha]

Why would anyone blame any State's governor? Chances are excellent that they're not the one doing the programming! Sheesh!

Greetings, poweRob. :2wave:

Good question!

I would add, why would anyone blame Obama or the Fed govt either? The fact is that they're not the ones doing the programming either. The programming was done by private corporations under contract with the states.

 

[polgara]

I do that too and then I forget what the hell I said afterwards.

:thumbs: :lamo:

Greetings, Bubba! :2wave:

 

[bubbabgone]

LOL!




Yes, there are filters one can use to limit the # of plans you are shown. You can filter by premium range and search for plans where your doctor is part of their network. I don't see a filter for deductible, co-pays, etc

Don't understand your question

Investigative

Well ... for example ... I've heard that because of the Government requirements for plans there are some women well beyond child-bearing age that have to pay for OB/GYN coverage including obstetrics in their chosen plan.
I'm assuming in their cases they were plans that were otherwise what they were looking for ... including a doctor they wanted to retain ... which opens up a whole other line of questions.
I don't suppose you were exposed to any information about the % of participating physicians.

 

[sangha]

Well ... for example ... I've heard that because of the Government requirements for plans there are some women well beyond child-bearing age that have to pay for OB/GYN coverage in their chosen plan.
I'm assuming in their cases they were plans that were otherwise what they were looking for ... including a doctor they wanted to retain ... which opens up a whole other line of questions.
I don't suppose you were exposed to any information about the % of participating physicians.

Ahh, I see

Women beyond their childbearing years still have a need to for gynecological services.

But the bigger point is that insurance is about pooling risk. Sure there will be coverage (and payment) for things *you* will never use. But at the same time, others will be paying for coverage for problems that they'll never have but you need.

The plans don't have a % of participating doctors, but you can search for plans which cover your doctor and/or hospital.

 

[polgara]

It didn't ask for my age. It asked for my birth date, which I answered honestly. I do not yet qualify for medicare



It's not supposed to be better or more affordable than Medicare, which is relatively affordable.



I'm mid-50's and I haven't had the chance yet to do any intensive analysis of the various plans but the $307 plan had a high deductible and paid at 50% for most in-network services. No dental.

I'll add that the premiums are the "full price" and are not adjusted for the assistance one might be eligible for (though I doubt that I will be eligible) so for many people, the price they pay may very well be much less.

Greetings, Sangha. :2wave:

Thanks for sharing what you encountered. :thumbs: I interested in hearing what other people have learned, too.

I did read this morning that the Obama website has been shut down for repairs. It didn't list any time or date for reopening, though.

 

[poweRob]

Why would anyone blame any State's governor? Chances are excellent that they're not the one doing the programming! Sheesh!

Greetings, poweRob. :2wave:

Hola polagra....

However the way these threads go it sounds like Obama is being accused of being the programmer for ACA.

 

[bubbabgone]

Ahh, I see

Women beyond their childbearing years still have a need to for gynecological services

.

But the bigger point is that insurance is about pooling risk. Sure there will be coverage (and payment) for things *you* will never use. But at the same time, others will be paying for coverage for problems that they'll never have but you need.

The plans don't have a % of participating doctors, but you can search for plans which cover your doctor and/or hospital.

Yeah ... I edited my original post shortly after to add "obstetrics" because that was the actual intent.
As for the "pooling", my original question dealt with significant covered items.
Obstetrics is one like that but I'm not at all sure typical insurance carriers force 58 year old women to carry coverage for that, for example.
But since you raised the concept of pooling, in Obamacare it's the overriding purpose of it's existence ... to pull in enough money from everyone in order to cover the currently uninsured and bizarre things like bloated coverage have to be a part of it.
To me that's an Achilles heel.

 

[specklebang]

It didn't ask for my age. It asked for my birth date, which I answered honestly. I do not yet qualify for medicare

It's not supposed to be better or more affordable than Medicare, which is relatively affordable.

I'm mid-50's and I haven't had the chance yet to do any intensive analysis of the various plans but the $307 plan had a high deductible and paid at 50% for most in-network services. No dental.

I'll add that the premiums are the "full price" and are not adjusted for the assistance one might be eligible for (though I doubt that I will be eligible) so for many people, the price they pay may very well be much less.

Sorry, I must have confused you with someone else. Glad to hear you're not as near dead as I thought.

I must say those prices seem very high. During the 2000s, I hired myself from a payroll service to get into their group plan. The plan itself (I would have been 59/62 at the time) was only about $300 but the payroll service fees turned it to about $600. And I was upset about that and thought I was being raped. Apparently not though, it was an 80/20 plan.

Prices tend to go up, not down so if these are today's prices...well, I'm definitely not impressed. I'm not sure what I expected - but this wasn't it.

 

[sangha]

Yeah ... I edited my original post shortly after to add "obstetrics" because that was the actual intent.
As for the "pooling", my original question dealt with significant covered items.
Obstetrics is one like that but I'm not at all sure typical insurance carriers force 58 year old women to carry coverage for that, for example.
But since you raised the concept of pooling, in Obamacare it's the overriding purpose of it's existence ... to pull in enough money from everyone in order to cover the currently uninsured and bizarre things like bloated coverage have to be a part of it.
To me that's an Achilles heel.

Fair enough, but let's just say I see it differently than you do and leave it that (at least for the purposes of this thread)

 

[bubbabgone]

Fair enough, but let's just say I see it differently than you do and leave it that (at least for the purposes of this thread)

I hear ya ... thanks for the to & fro.