<p>When I saw that figure that 22-23% of signups (whatever word) in CA were 18-34 year olds, it also noted that that exceeds the proportion of Californians in that age range. So it would seem that’s good.</p>
<p>For the record, I was not billed by BCBS, but by my exchange- and able to pay through them. Perhaps someone thinks I should also check directly with BCBS, to ensure they have some record of my enrollment-?</p>
<p>
What state are you in? </p>
<p>(It’s nice to know that at least one state has this right. The California site has a “Pay now” link, but the link doesn’t go anywhere – I guess they are still working on that part.)</p>
<p>Re California – Not sure about Blue Shield, but Blue Cross has pushed back its payment deadline to January 10.</p>
<p>California did not complete some of its enrollments until Saturday night (Dec. 28th) – because of technical issues on the last day of enrollment (Dec. 24), a grace period was added during which people who had started an app on or before 12/24 could have that completed either with the help of Covered Cal. staff or a licensed agent/broker. </p>
<p>So we are dealing with a situation that the first business day that some enrollment data could be received by an insurance company was yesterday (Dec 30).</p>
<p>I figure each insurance company has to complete these steps with the forwarded data:</p>
<ol>
<li>Integrate information into their own internal database.</li>
<li>Assign a policy number.</li>
<li>Generate an invoice.</li>
<li>Mail out a paper bill. (They are supposed to email the customer, but that certainly didn’t work for me – Blue Shield told me in December that they didn’t have an email associated with my account and there was no way for them to add it to their system).</li>
</ol>
<p>I don’t want to do the research right now, but California law has some general provisions about when things come due, when paper mail is presumed to be received, grace periods, what happens when the last day falls on a weekend or holiday, etc. So lets say that the best case scenario is that a super-efficient insurance company was able to get the paper mail for the late enrollees printed and mailed today. </p>
<p>Basically the time has kind of run out for the insurance companies to insist on payment on January 6th. It’s just impossible for them to get the bills delivered to the customers in time. Late-enrollees are being told verbally to contact the insurers on their own to arrange payment rather than wait for the bill, but of course when people call there are long hold times and the companies often don’t have the enrollment data ready to accept payment. </p>
<p>So I think the January 6th deadline is “soft” – people’s real deadlines are going to be counted from whenever the insurance companies mail out the paper invoices. (The alternative is that the insurance companies stand firm, refuse to insure people, and some California lawyer with a client whose invoice arrived on January 9 brings a class-action suit.)</p>
<p>No one can actually be insured until payment is received, but the insurance companies can accept late payment and then give coverage retroactive to the first of the month. </p>
<p>I’m not suggesting that someone can goof off until March to pay the January bill – I’m just saying that a hypothetical person who receives an invoice asking for payment on a date already passed is going to be able to make payment arrangements. Just because that’s how these things generally work.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>As noted above, I’ve been told that the date is January 10th, and I’d be surprised if it’s not pushed back further than that. I agree with you that they can hardly start cancelling people who don’t pay by whatever deadline they eventually decide on.</p>
<p>“There are estimates of approximately 5 million who couldn’t get Medicaid or subsidies and will lack coverage.”</p>
<p>The shame is that if they lived in states which expanded medicaid these 5 million would have insurance.</p>
<p>Insurance companies are in the business of selling insurance. They <em>want</em> someone who signed up for their insurance, even at the last minute, to be their customer. They perhaps particularly want the last-minute guy, because a procrastinator might well be healthier than the very motivated diabetic who tried to sign up on October 1. I see no benefit for insurance companies to try to cut off people who attempt to sign up and who want to pay.</p>
<p>"Look, I was a freaking crisis manager "</p>
<p>:) That is cool.</p>
<p>Billed by the exchange… Interesting.</p>
<p>Interesting that the Cal pay button is still in operable. </p>
<p>I agree with you, CF. Insurance companies want customers.
There are so many stories about extending deadlines.</p>
<p>Oregon is a mess so some people who qualify for subsidies are going to be able to apply off exchange. Eventually their plans will be switched to on exchange plans ao they
can receive subsidies.</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.oregonlive.com/finance/index.ssf/2013/12/washington_exchange_extends_pr.html[/url]”>Washington exchange extends payment deadline to Jan. 15; Cover Oregon still undecided - oregonlive.com;
<p>“Anyone enrolling outside Cover Oregon won’t qualify for federal tax credits and subsidies. But some insurers have indicated they will transfer plans bought off the exchange back onto the exchange before March 31 if consumers believe they’ll qualify for tax credits.”</p>
<p>[Covered</a> California finally rolls out Spanish-language application | 89.3 KPCC](<a href=“http://www.scpr.org/news/2013/12/30/41276/covered-california-rolls-out-spanish-language-insu/]Covered”>Covered California finally rolls out Spanish-language application | LAist - NPR News for Southern California - 89.3 FM)</p>
<p>And about time! That’s the paper application, btw. The Covered California Spanish-language website has been around for a while.</p>
<p>Daughter called BCBS seeking advice on paying. They asked her NOT to pay on the website and to wait for them to set up the policy numbers etc and for them to email and send her the information. They stated she was definitely in their system and that she can pay up until the 15 th of January. </p>
<p>I asked her to do everything possible to pay before the 10th. :)</p>
<p>There arent that many pages that have to be filled out.
I wish the applicants were asked whether they are uninsured at the time of the application.</p>
<p><a href=“https://www.coveredca.com/PDFs/English/paper_application/CCFRM605.pdf[/url]”>https://www.coveredca.com/PDFs/English/paper_application/CCFRM605.pdf</a></p>
<p><a href=“https://www.coveredca.com/PDFs/English/paper_application/CA-SingleStream%20App%20Form%20SPA_91MAX_07WEB_122413.pdf[/url]”>https://www.coveredca.com/PDFs/English/paper_application/CA-SingleStream%20App%20Form%20SPA_91MAX_07WEB_122413.pdf</a></p>
<p>“I asked her to do everything possible to pay before the 10th.” </p>
<p>:)</p>
<p>My wife called BCBSNC this morning and asked if we could pay for the new plan that we enrolled in online. She was told the bills were going out (today… ha ha ha!!) and not to worry about it. Meanwhile… hmmm… we have a bill for our old plan and 30 days to pay that, so I am not worried about being uninsured, but it would be nice to be officially enrolled (with a paid bill) in the new plan.</p>
<p>Insurance works in strange ways and I am not sure how they get away with it.</p>
<p>I had not paid an invoice for renewal for my cars because I insured with someone else with a better deal. They sent me a cancellation notice after 2 months for non-payment and asked me to pay for those two months. In order for them to waive the two month bill they needed proof that I was insured with someone else or else it is considered that I was covered for those two months even without a renewal.</p>
<p>So I suggest those with multi plans that keep popping up watch out since non-renewal might still require you to provide evidence that you are covered elsewhere or else you had to have requested a cancellation in writing or something like that.</p>
<p>texaspg - not sure of the laws in your state but it is illegal in many, if not most, not to carry auto insurance. Companies report verification of insurance to state agencies. There are steep fines if the insurance is not verified.</p>
<p>If you read my post, it was not for reporting but for a payment. </p>
<p>They really did not care whether I had insurance or not since they already cancelled my policy but wanted the money for 2 months until their cancellation after non-payment. So theoretically, I could have gone with no-insurance and it would not have mattered to the insurance company at all if I had paid just for those two months.</p>
<p>Their view was that were covering me in good faith for those two months whether I wanted it or not until they cancelled it for non-payment.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t dream of cancelling any insurance by simply not paying the invoice. I always do it in writing, and ask the company to follow up in writing that they received my cancellation. It’s not really that difficult.</p>
<p>^ So what is your advice to all the people receiving 4 invoices, 2 cancellations etc. </p>
<p>What should Romani be doing for example?</p>
<p>I can’t do anything anyway. Phone system still down. Now with the Autism thing they’re getting even more swamped. </p>
<p>I think I ****ed the guy off that I was emailing with my sarcasm but really, why tell me to email if all you’re going to do is refer me back to the same non working numbers.
Also, his response had three typos. Impressive considering it was eight words long!</p>
<p>texaspg, I was responding to your story about letting your car insurance lapse for non-payment, and then being surprised and disgusted that they wanted some kind of evidence before they could waive the next two months’ premium.</p>