Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska has received so many requests from people seeking aid with Obamacare that company heads have turned to the temporary work force and hired extra employees just to deal solely with the enrollment process.
The company said it has received 50 or so enrollment requests in the past couple of business days, NebraskaWatchdog.org reported. But trying to help them navigate the online enrollment pages, which are beset by glitches and computer problems, is proving to be a workplace nightmare for the insurer. They could only help enroll a total of 10 people.
Meanwhile, the applications that do make it to the Blue Cross offices are ridden with errors.
“All of the enrollees are being contacted to verify information because in many cases it is coming to us as inaccurate or incomplete,” said Blue Cross spokesman Andy Williams, in NebraskaWatchdog.org.
The Wall Street Journal said that some insurance companies have reported that enrollees are turning in duplicate applications, or applications without all the necessary information on children. Blue Cross in Nebraska didn’t specify the type of problems they’re seeing, except to say that people are angry.
“People are confused, fearful, angry, not sure what to do,” Mr. Williams said, in NebraskaWatchdog.org. “We’re trying to calm the waters as much as we can with solid, basic information and help walk through it.”
Blue Cross in the state’s largest insurer and covers nearly half of the insured population.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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