Best and worst health exchanges: Where producers flourish and fail

Analysts have ranked the best and worst health exchanges in the nation, which may reflect producer success.

Life & Health

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Much has been made of the malfunctioning Healthcare.gov, but emerging reports from state-run exchanges also suggest trouble closer to home. In the midst of the melee, analysts from technology ranking company HealthPocket have identified the best and worst state exchanges for healthcare shoppers and—consequently—their insurance agents and brokers.

It appears producers in Connecticut and Rhode Island are best-positioned to help clients navigate the newly-unveiled exchanges. Meanwhile, producers in Hawaii and Minnesota have reason to complain.

Analyst Kev Coleman, who is head of research and data at HealthPocket, analyzed each state exchange based on four features: the ability to shop anonymously, the effort required to compare insurance plans, wait time for customer support, and accuracy of customer support answers.

Because producers are using the exchange sites and services to help their clients shop for coverage, these four factors also greatly affect business.

“Brokers certainly need the exchanges to work well because they’re trying to coordinate with them to do business,” said Steven Zaleznick, executive director for consumer strategy and development for HealthPocket. “I think you can assume that the exchanges up and running more effectively for individuals will also benefit brokers—certainly in the first year, at least.”

So what makes the two New England exchanges the teacher’s pet for producers?

Coleman says it’s primarily the ease of use and the lack of effort required to compare insurance plans.

“Connecticut’s exchange, AccessHealthCT, was able to produce plan comparisons within four steps and Rhode Island’s exchange, HealthSourceRI, was able to producer plan comparisons within six steps,” Coleman said.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, Minnesota’s MNsure required 18 steps just to view health plan comparisons. Coleman believes such an arduous process would lead many shoppers to abandon the process altogether.

As for Hawaii, the Aloha state took the bottom spot because the exchange website did not allow producers and shoppers to compare health plan options at the time of testing.  Instead, the site directed visitors to contact the Hawaii Health Connector for information on subsidy eligibility and plan options.

However, Hawaii’s site is now functional and Coral Andrews, executive director the Hawaii Health Connector exchange, said the state is “working in earnest to add functionality in the coming days and weeks.”

Other findings included Massachusetts, Minnesota and Washington state ranking in the bottom with average phone wait times. Callers to Minnesota and Washington's exchanges averaged 10 to 11 minutes waiting on hold, while Massachusetts’ customer support line ended in a voicemail with instructions to leave a message.

 

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