2014 ACA Enrollment Tips (Agents Helping Agents)

[AllenChicago]

For those of us who are engaged in 2014 enrollments, let's share what we learn from our experiences, to help each other become more proficient. There will likely be state-to-state and situational variances, but I believe this thread can be beneficial to all of us, if we keep it on-subject.

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Healthcare.gov experience: (Self Employment Income Tip)

One thing I learned today is that self-employed individuals who have a loss in the month in which they apply are better off not honestly answering the question, "What is your expected profit or loss THIS month?"

My client answered honestly.. $4,000 loss THIS month. The crazy system projected this month to his entire year, calculated his annual income as $0, and auto forwarded his application to the Illinois Medicaid department. (Going back and changing the monthly income to a positive dollar amount didn't affect the final $0 determination.)

We called the Marketplace. After the client answered several questions totally unrelated to our problem, the lady said that even though the system says a negative Income for the current month is allowable, it should not be entered. We should have taken his expected 2013 annual income and entered 1/12 of that amount.

This will be corrected, but I wanted to share the incident and the advice to think twice before entering a monthly LOSS.
-ac

 

[rugerred]

Has anyone written an 18 yr old who is on their own? I have one this week and just wondering what to expect. It will be on exchange.

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy

 

[Evan]

Every time I've attempted to write under 19 in Florida they throw the kids to CHIP of Florida KidCare.

1. Never call Healthcare.Gov if you have made a mistake or get the dreaded identify verification at the end. Your best bet is to just start over.

2. Make sure the client's info matches their ss card. It sounds simple but it causes lots of headaches.

 

[bluediamond]

Evan that is the way it's going to be here in Florida, all children under 19 to chp or medicaid. Healthykids.org are all ages 5 up through 18 and under 5 it's kid's care. I did not know these were two completely different programs until a couple of days ago. I thought they were one in the same. Might as well tell the parents up front.

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Now here's a tip for you. If someone calls that is sitting at home on their computer in healthcare.gov with subsidy determination and wants your help explaining the plans he is about to purchase and he won't let you start from the beginning with him and give you credit, tell him no help he's his own agent.

 

[russelltw]

My experience has been to go straight through the app without stopping to come back later. Every time I have stopped, I have trouble with what the results should be when we go back to complete or cannot log back in. I usually have to start over.


Last night had trouble after I correct an error on a child's date of birth. It would not allow me to add the child as a dependent. It would give the "someone else" but when I enter the child's info, it would say they are already added. Frustrating. Just had to erase the app and start over.

 

[bluediamond]

Yep, once you start the app try and complete it as fast as possible, seems the faster you can get through it the better it is.

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Am I correct in thinking that if the minimum value plan on group is more than 9.5% of ones income then they are eligible for a subsidy? Tried to do one this morning and no subsidy, but did not ask if it was within this range, just asked if it was available. I guess I can assume, which I hate to, that since that question is there group available it isn't going to matter if it's affordable or not.

 

[somarco]

if the minimum value plan on group is more than 9.5% of ones income then they are eligible for a subsidy?

Nope. They just get a free pass on the penalty if they do not buy.

 

[taterpeeler]

all good stuff... thanks to allen for creating...... now mine:

1) foreigners are boogers to get tru. try not entering in the alien number but do enter the nat. cert. number only... green cards only indicate they have a green card.

2) yes, exactly as the SS card says

3) if someone has custody of grand children probably wont go tru unless that child vanishes form app

4) if your kid is over 18 and has been out on their own gonna find it hard to get tru if they came back to the roost to live

5) if you deal with a young person and they have not established any credit or rental history just move on, not gonna get verify at the initial verify

6) if your kid is going to school in another state good luck with that one too

 

[CHUMPS FROM OXFORD]

Call Anne (Ann) or Bill (or email them) with short specific questions. They will lead you to the promised land.

Don't send your clients to the 1-800 .gov number to enroll. Even if they have your ID and NPN...Don't. I learned the hard way and Bill verified my suspicion.

 

[Ann H]

Allen, thanks for starting this thread. This is very valuable "where the rubber meets the road" type of information.