Obamacare error rate means many may not be signed up for coverage

The administration said that 25 percent of people who signed up in October and November and 10 percent of Dec. enrollees could have errors in their forms.

The New York Times: Enrollment Errors Put Medical Coverage at Risk
The Obama administration said Friday that the enrollment records for roughly a quarter of all the people who signed up for health insurance on its website in October and November could contain errors, raising questions about whether those consumers would get coverage in time to pay for their medical care next month. Even now, the administration said, it may be sending incomplete or erroneous information to insurers for one in every 10 people who enroll. The disclosure added yet another complication to a long list of technical troubles that have hampered the rollout of President Obama's health care law (Pear, 12/6).

McClatchy: One In Four HealthCare.gov Enrollees May Not Be Properly Signed Up
Julie Bataille, communications director for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services(CMS), said officials believe nine out of ten 834s generated since December 1 are error-free. But those fixes were too late for tens of thousands of people whose faulty enrollment information might keep them from gaining coverage on January 1, 2014 (Pugh, 12/6)

Los Angeles Times: Roughly 1 In 10 Obamacare Enrollments Still Flawed, Officials Say
The problems with transmitting information from the website to insurers raise the prospect that some consumers who believe they are enrolled in coverage will discover that insurers have no record of their application. Insurers have seen various types of errors in the 834 transmissions, including garbled or incorrect information, duplicate forms and, in some cases, missing forms (Hennessey and Levey, 12/6). 

The Washington Post: Administration Reports Reports 25% Error Rate On Obamacare Error Rate On Obamacare Forms From October, November 
Bataille emphasized that the 25 percent error rate for October and November -; the exchange's problem-ridden first two months -; and the smaller current number are preliminary, drawn from a sample of enrollments. She said that more precise numbers will not be available until the CMS and insurers finish cross-checking enrollment lists to make sure that health plans know who has signed up for coverage. Flawed enrollment records have been a major concern to insurers selling health plans through the federal health exchange -; and it has important implications for consumers (Goldstein and Eilperin, 12/6).

Politico: CMS Gives Early Numbers On Health File Errors
Karen Ignagni, president and CEO of America's Health Insurance Plans, said Friday afternoon that progress was evident. "The new process put in place this week is making a difference," she said. "The enrollment files are getting better, but there is more work to do to ensure consumers are covered." But since coverage won't take effect until the first premium is paid, Bataille stressed that people who have questions about their coverage should reach out directly to insurers (Norman, 12/6).

The Wall Street Journal: HealthCare.gov Had 1-in-4 Oct-Nov Error Rate With Key Enrollment Form
The 834 form is supposed to contain a person's name, address, contact information and Social Security number. Insurance companies use the information to bill consumers for their portion of the payment and to formally enroll people in insurance plans. If the 834 isn't sent or has errors, insurers can't complete the enrollment. The CMS is contacting hundreds of thousands of consumers who have tried to enroll for health coverage but aren't enrolled. Ms. Bataille ... said 3.7 million people have used HealthCare.gov so far this week (Corbett Dooren, 12/6).