Insurers are receiving faulty and sometimes incomplete data new federal government-run health exchanges, meaning some Americans will not receive coverage even after they have signed up for the exchanges, Bloomberg News reports.
While it’s not clear how widespread the problem is, the reports from industry consultants are the first hint that the technical troubles faced by consumers trying to enroll in health plans under the Affordable Care Act may also be hitting the insurers. The companies are receiving electronic files that can’t open or have so much missing information on new enrollees they’re unusable, the consultants said.
Some insurers have been forced to fix entries by hand, said Bob Laszewski, an insurance-industry consultant based in Arlington, Virginia. […]
While the numbers of people signing up through the U.S. website have been small enough that insurers can fix bad data file by file, that may not be possible later, Laszewski said. Enrollment is expected to pick up as Jan. 1 approaches and coverage actually begins, he said.
The Wall Street Journal reported Monday that the website was filled with design and software flaws due to hasty production.
