GEORGIA ANGLE
Georgia ranks No. 3 among the states for the number of people who signed up for insurance through the online health exchange but who have some issue with their citizenship or immigration documentation, the government said. Here are the 10 states with the greatest number of people with documentation problems:
1. Florida 93,800
2. Texas 52,700
3. Georgia 20,900
4. Virginia 13,900
5. Pennsylvania 12,600
6. North Carolina 12,300
7. Illinois 10,300
8. Missouri 9,800
9. New Jersey 9,600
10. Louisiana 6,900
Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
TEXAS ANGLE
Texas ranks No. 2 among the states for the number of people who signed up for insurance through the online health exchange but who have some issue with their citizenship or immigration documentation, the government said. Here are the 10 states with the greatest number of people with documentation problems:
1. Florida 93,800
2. Texas 52,700
3. Georgia 20,900
4. Virginia 13,900
5. Pennsylvania 12,600
6. North Carolina 12,300
7. Illinois 10,300
8. Missouri 9,800
9. New Jersey 9,600
10. Louisiana 6,900
Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
OHIO ANGLE
Ohio ranks No. 12 among the states for the number of people who signed up for insurance through the online health exchange but who have some issue with their citizenship or immigration documentation, the government said. Ohio has 6,000 people on the list. Here are the 10 states with the greatest number of people with documentation problems:
1. Florida 93,800
2. Texas 52,700
3. Georgia 20,900
4. Virginia 13,900
5. Pennsylvania 12,600
6. North Carolina 12,300
7. Illinois 10,300
8. Missouri 9,800
9. New Jersey 9,600
10. Louisiana 6,900
Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
FLORIDA ANGLE
Florida ranks No. 1 among the states for the number of people who signed up for insurance through the online health exchange but who have some issue with their citizenship or immigration documentation, the government said. Here are the 10 states with the greatest number of people with documentation problems:
1. Florida 93,800
2. Texas 52,700
3. Georgia 20,900
4. Virginia 13,900
5. Pennsylvania 12,600
6. North Carolina 12,300
7. Illinois 10,300
8. Missouri 9,800
9. New Jersey 9,600
10. Louisiana 6,900
Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
WHAT TO DO IF YOU GET A LETTER
— People who get letters reminding them that they must provide proper documents by Sept. 5 or risk losing their federal marketplace coverage at the end of next month are asked to log in to their HealthCare.gov accounts, pull up their applications and upload their documents.
— They also can mail in their information, but they should include the bar code pages from their notification letters with their materials.
— Representatives at the HHS call center, at 1-800-318-2596, can provide information about needed documents and tell people whether their information has been received.
News services
Hundreds of thousands of people who signed up under the new health care law risk losing their taxpayer-subsidized insurance unless they act quickly to resolve questions about their citizenship or immigration status. The government warned on Tuesday that they have just over three weeks to show that they’re eligible.
Of the 8 million people who signed up for private coverage through President Barack Obama’s law, more than 2 million at one point had discrepancies of some sort that clouded their eligibility. That number has been greatly reduced — but the remaining cases are proving difficult to untangle.
People living in the country illegally are not allowed to get coverage. Officials at the Health and Human Services Department said letters are being sent to about 310,000 people with documentation issues involving citizenship or immigration.
The letters will notify enrollees with unresolved issues that they still need to upload their documents to the HealthCare.gov website by Sept. 5, or mail them in. Otherwise, their coverage will end on Sept. 30.
Many haven’t responded to repeated outreach efforts. Hispanics, who historically have lagged in health insurance coverage, may account for a big share of the group.
Indeed, two states with large Latino populations top the list of unresolved cases. Florida has 93,800 cases, while Texas has 52,700. Georgia, Virginia and Pennsylvania round out the top five. The letters are being sent in English and Spanish.
Some supporters of the law worried that eligible consumers might lose coverage due to record-keeping problems on the government’s part, or because of something as mundane as letters getting lost in the mail.
“Many of these people have issues because government files are incomplete,” said Ron Pollack, executive director of the advocacy group Families USA. “Many may feel that they have fully complied with what is necessary to get health coverage.”
The number of problem cases was much larger only a few months ago, prompting criticism from congressional Republicans that the administration was signing up people ineligible under the law.
In May, there were nearly 970,000 people with citizenship or immigration problems. About half those cases have now been closed, officials said, and another 20 percent are being worked on actively. Previously, officials have said that the overwhelming majority of cases are resolved in favor of the enrollee.
The new policy affects the 36 states where the federal government has taken the lead in running online insurance markets created by the law. It’s unclear how it will apply in places such as California and New York, which are running their own insurance exchanges.
Consumers who have unresolved discrepancies over their incomes will get notices at a later date.
The new health law provides subsidized coverage to people with no access to health insurance on the job. More than 80 percent of those signed up are getting subsidies to help with their premiums and, in some cases, their co-payments and deductibles as well.
But those taxpayer subsidies are contingent on meeting a host of requirements. The amount of a consumer’s premium tax credit can vary by income, family size, hometown and other factors. That can make getting covered through the law feel somewhat like doing your taxes.
The letters that started going out Tuesday won’t be the final attempt to reach those with unresolved issues. HHS will try to contact each consumer two more times by phone and once via email. The administration is also working with local organizations to try to reach people directly in their homes.
The notices affect this year’s coverage only.
The open enrollment period for this year is over. Open enrollment season for 2015 coverage doesn’t start until Nov. 15. At that point, consumers will be able to renew or make changes in their coverage, and new customers can sign up for coverage.
Under the law, most Americans are required to have health insurance or risk fines.
About the Author