Signups for second year of Obamacare start Saturday in Nevada

It’s that time again.

With fall comes open-enrollment season for health insurance. Beginning Saturday, hundreds of thousands of Nevadans will be able to sign up for subsidized coverage under the Affordable Care Act through the Nevada Health Link insurance exchange.

Although things didn’t go so well for the marketplace last fall, exchange officials and insurance brokers alike said they expect an easier, more efficient process this time.

“I understand so well the frustrations and issues of last year, and we’ve done everything in our power to make sure those are not repeated,” Executive Director Bruce Gilbert said. “I have high hopes that we’ve been able to surmount those issues.”

Before you test it out, there are ground rules.

First, if you’re one of the 32,000 or so Nevadans already enrolled in a plan through Nevada Health Link, you’ll need to sign up through the system again. Otherwise, you’ll be auto-renewed into a plan with no premium tax credit.

Also, if you need coverage to take effect on Jan. 1, you’ll need to sign up and pay by Dec. 15. If the start date isn’t an urgent matter, then you have until Feb. 15 to enroll in a plan and avoid a federal tax, which in 2015 will start at $325 or 2 percent of your income — whichever is higher. If you enroll before the 15th, your coverage will begin on the first of the next month. After the 15th, it doesn’t take effect for 45 days.

Finally, a lot has changed since the first enrollment go-round last October. Keeping that in mind will help you understand the process better, and know where to get help if you get stuck.

MORE DIRECT CONTACT

So what’s new about Nevada’s system? Well, pretty much everything.

For starters, the technology has received a complete overhaul. Nevadans who want to enroll still have to start at nevadahealthlink.com. But rather than 2013’s jumble of menu choices, the new version is streamlined, with just six buttons. What’s more, enrollees will be pre-screened and directed to the right place before they even fill out an application. Eligible for Medicaid? The site will send you to Access Nevada. Qualify for a federally subsidized private plan? You’re forwarded to healthcare.gov, the federal exchange’s website.

Nevada is borrowing the federal site’s enrollment system to avoid glitches that hurt enrollment, but for subsidy purposes, Nevada Health Link is considered a state-run marketplace because the state controls what plans are offered and how the system is funded.

Dumping the 2013 enrollment platform also should eliminate a big barrier to sign-ups last fall and spring. No longer will the exchange collect and distribute premium payments to insurers. Making Nevada Health Link the middleman between consumer and insurer caused payment problems for thousands of people. After Saturday, carriers will bill directly for new coverage.

“There’ll be a lot less confusion on who paid what, when,” said Brent Leavitt, a broker with Nevada Benefits.

The application process also has shrunk from 70 pages to 16 for most people, Gilbert said. There’s no verification after every page — a process that bogged down 2013’s launch. Gone are online “waiting rooms,” where consumers were sent with no direction on when they could enroll, when the site is busy. A backup button lets users return to a prior page in the application if they need to change something. And the federal site has been re-engineered to handle twice as many simultaneous users as it had on its busiest day in the first enrollment period, Gilbert said.

“Because of the improved work flow and a simplified application and enrollment process, we are cautiously optimistic — I don’t want to say confident — that everything will proceed as expected,” Gilbert said. “As a practical matter, we feel really good. We anticipate a much better time this time around.”

Still, “nothing of this size is flawless,” Gilbert said, acknowledging potential “bumps in the road.” If things don’t go as planned, consumers can get in-person enrollment help, as well as assistance directly from insurers — another first.

‘BE PATIENT AND HAVE FAITH’

Don’t give up if you get stuck while signing up.

Nevada Health Link has an “enrollment store” staffed by insurance brokers and navigators for shoppers who want to discuss options face-to-face or get around website-connection issues on their home computers. Southern Nevada’s store is in The Boulevard, 3528 S. Maryland Parkway, Suite 384. Beginning Saturday, the store will be open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and noon to 7 p.m. Sunday. Extended hours on the 15th of each month will go from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Nevada Health Link also has a more streamlined broker-search function on its website. Click on the “Individuals and Families” option, and go to the “In-Person Assistant” option on the right. Choosing the “Find Assistance” box will let you search for a broker by ZIP code or by name.

“We strongly urge consumers to work with brokers, agents and navigators, who can help them understand the differences between plans and help them make the best choice for their given situation,” Gilbert said.

Also new this year, consumers can call insurers directly to enroll in a subsidized exchange plan. Plus, consumer options will expand with Time Insurance Co. becoming the fifth company offering subsidized coverage. Time also will have a national network, Leavitt said.

And remember: You don’t absolutely have to go through Nevada Health Link to buy coverage unless you’re getting a tax credit. If you’re not receiving a subsidy and the website gives you fits, consider calling an insurer directly or getting a broker to help you choose an off-exchange plan.

If you do use the site, fill out an offline version of your application and keep backup copies, Leavitt said. If the site goes down or you need to reapply, you’ll know what information you already entered.

Most important, “be patient and have faith that things are going to work. That’s what got me through last year,” said Leavitt, who signed up about 400 people — more than any other broker — through Nevada Health Link in the first enrollment session. “Brokers want the business. Carriers want the business. The government wants you to sign up for insurance. Everyone is on your side. It’s just a matter of having patience.”

Gilbert said the exchange has no enrollment goal for the sign-up period. The exchange had a target of 118,000 sign-ups in its first year, but maxed out at 38,000 in the summer. Leavitt said his goal is to more than double his enrollments, to 1,000 by February.

Contact Jennifer Robison at jrobison@reviewjournal.com. Follow @J_Robison1 on Twitter.