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Exchange a disaster

Affordable health care for all. What a great idea! What a shame that the first year’s implementation has been such a disaster.

The Washington Health Benefit Exchange was formed to administer the program in our state. From day one the website has been difficult to navigate and extremely unreliable. But what’s worse, of the approximately 145,000 people who signed up for 2014, anywhere from 15 percent to 20 percent have experienced billing errors and coverage interruptions. Their “Customer Support” department (which is actually in Spokane) has been unable to handle the multitude of complaints.

And guess what? Besides a board of directors, the exchange doesn’t have any oversight. The insurance commissioner and even the governor have no jurisdiction over the exchange.

I was one of those customers who got caught in the bureaucratic nightmare. Payments to the exchange were not credited and sent on to my insurance carrier. I think I finally got it resolved after many months of complaining and frustration including a letter to their chief executive officer and a formal complaint to the insurance commissioner.

I am a semi-retired physician who knows quite well the medical establishment. Obviously, that didn’t help me navigate this newly created bureaucracy.

Kenneth Mondal, M.D.

Spokane

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