Westhill Consulting Insurance ; Connecticut learns less is more with state health insurance website

Tuesday, November 12, statistics put out by Connecticut demonstrate that its website is the only one to sign up more folks for private insurance than for Medicaid.

Angel Medina, 21, went to talk to an Affordable Health Care act navigator in Hartford. Medina was dropped from his mother’s health insurance two years ago.

“I have really bad eyes. I like to get them checked often, but since I don’t have health insurance, no doctor’s going to really want to take a look at me,” he said.

He found out that he may qualify for Medicaid, which was long-drawn-out under Obamacare.

So far, 9,123 have enrolled over Connecticut’s ultimate goal is to sign up 275,000 people.

Kevin Counihan, chief executive officer of Connecticut’s health exchange, says he’s not discouraged by the number of people signing up for private health insurance.

“Buying health insurance is expensive and it’s expensive and it’s confusing and it’s complicated. So no, I am not disappointed by it. However, we clearly have a strong goal to meet by March,” he said.

Counihan look forward to have 100,000 people enrolled by the end of March. He credits the state’s computer system with the smooth even out.

“Number one is, less is more. Do fewer things well than try to do more things inconsistently. Two is test the heck out of the system and make sure that before you go live, you are pretty darn confident that you know what is going to happen. And three is hire the best people that you can,” he said.

Counihan was implicated with Massachusetts’ health insurance rollout in 2006. He says that taught him people don’t buy insurance like they do a book or car. They usually consider the options an average of 18n times before making up their minds.

He foresees a sprint of people signing up between Thanksgiving and Dec. 15, which in case is the deadline for coverage beginning on Jan. 1.