Marketing New Health Insurance Options Poses Challenges
The Wall Street Journal explores issues surrounding the health law's "navigators," a small army of people who are supposed to help millions of Americans sign up for coverage. Meanwhile, Kaiser Health News reports on questions about how the one in five households who lack traditional bank accounts will be able to pay their insurance bills.
The Wall Street Journal: Role Of Health-Law 'Navigators' Under Fire
Lawmakers across the country are tussling over the Obama administration's plans to create a small army of assistants to guide millions of Americans as they sign up for new health-insurance options available this fall. Backers of the health-care overhaul face an uphill battle to spread the word about the law, in the face of consumer research that suggests most uninsured people know little about it and are skeptical about the value of health insurance generally. Some Democrats have openly worried that the administration is doing too little to make sure the enrollment process goes smoothly (Radnofsky, 5/20).
Kaiser Health News: How Will The 'Unbanked' Buy Insurance On The Exchanges?
When movie stars become unbankable, they’re no longer a slam dunk at the box office. When investments become unbankable, they’re relegated to the junk pile. For ordinary Americans deemed unbankable, those who don’t have a traditional checking or savings account, it can be hard to simply pay bills. And that is about to become a big problem for those who also lack health coverage -- and for the health insurance companies trying to sell them coverage. After all, how do you sell a product to a customer who has no way to pay you? (Varney, 5/20).
