Isle Obamacare roll inflated, state says
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Jeff Kissel: Former head of the Connector.
The Hawaii Health Connector inflated the number of residents enrolled in Obamacare in 2015, state officials contend.
The nonprofit Connector, assigned to enroll Hawaii residents in medical insurance under the Affordable Care Act, repeatedly said it signed up nearly 40,000 people in coverage last year, despite federal reports stating otherwise.
“Our reports were always based on households, and we had to provide individual enrollees by performing a special system query. Those are the numbers we identified, and they’re in the company records the state is in possession of now. If the people in charge today can’t reconcile it, I’m sorry. I can’t do anything about it.”Jeff Kissel |
Now that the state has taken over functions of the Connector and moved enrollment to the federal marketplace, healthcare.gov, Gov. David Ige’s administration told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser that number is bogus.
“The 40,000 just is not a real number,” said Laurel Johnson, Ige’s deputy chief of staff. “It’s so high as to be ridiculous. The prior estimate of 40,000 cannot be verified by any state or federal database.”
Hawaii’s Obamacare enrollment numbers have been all over the place depending on the source. Hawaii Medical Service Association confirmed it enrolled approximately 12,000 members on the Connector last year, while Kaiser Permanente Hawaii said it signed up 7,300 individuals on the exchange. Combined, HMSA and Kaiser signed up about half the number Connector officials have claimed.
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Ige’s representatives told lawmakers at a briefing Wednesday that the latest federal figures show 16,803 people were covered under Obamacare in 2015 and that 15,400 have signed up for coverage so far this year. Johnson said there is no way to verify actual exchange enrollments for last year because Connector reporting systems have been shut down.
Charles Gaba, a Michigan Web developer who tracks nationwide ACA enrollments, has written at least a half-dozen times about Hawaii’s fuzzy Obamacare numbers on his blog at ACASignups.net.
“Hawaii: 8,200 enrollees. Or 38,000. Or somewhere in between. I think,” Gaba wrote in a post last year. “One day it’s 16,000 (more than twice 2014’s total), a month later it’s only 13,300, then just hours later, I receive ‘confirmation’ (directly from the exchange director, supposedly) that it’s actually 23,000 specifically for 2015 policies. What the heck is going on here?”
In March the U.S. Health and Human Services Department, the agency that oversees Obamacare, announced that 8,200 Hawaii residents had enrolled in ACA coverage. Then in June the figure was 8,802. At the end of September, sign-ups jumped to 16,803, the latest data available.
The Connector’s former head Jeff Kissel said in a phone call from Texas on Thursday that he stands by the “nearly 40,000” number.
“Unfortunately, I really can’t explain that (16,803) number since I don’t have any access to current files,” Kissel said. “I would, however, point out that our reports were always based on households, and we had to provide individual enrollees by performing a special system query. Those are the numbers we identified, and they’re in the company records the state is in possession of now. If the people in charge today can’t reconcile it, I’m sorry. I can’t do anything about it.”
Last year the feds determined that Hawaii was not in compliance with Obamacare, the federal program that requires Americans to obtain medical insurance or pay tax penalties, in part because it wasn’t financially self-sustaining.
Ige’s administration was forced to abandon the troubled Connector, which had struggled since its launch in October 2013 to meet enrollment targets, provide satisfactory service and raise enough money for operations. The Connector burned through $130 million of $204 million in federal money granted to the state to build the exchange.
Administration officials told lawmakers this week they will need $6 million annually to continue the outreach, call center and other functions. Open enrollment for Obamacare coverage began Nov. 1 and concludes Jan. 31.
35 responses to “Isle Obamacare roll inflated, state says”
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What a surprise. A disaster of a law that those voting for it never read, put in the hands of incompetents to implement. Some people should be thrown in jail for this fiasco. Good thing the party of no personal responsibility runs this madhouse or someone could get into trouble.
Fuzzy math in deed. This tax law that only benefited the welfare w#ores has been butchered so many times before it is fully implemented, and its shortcomings continue to pile up daile. We are now seing what really is in it…and Pelosi and the likes and many unions that pushed for this tax law got exempted from participating in this mess of a social program they created.
Pelosi had nothing to do with this scam. Blame our elected officials and state incompetents for not checking anything this state does. And we the people wonder why and still vote incumbents in year after year.
This is a total smoke screen to cover the ineptness of government unable to hold themselves responsible and more so, accountable, for our tax dollars. This kind of asinine spending makes me want to join the Kelcher family in Alaska.
Obamadon’tcare should be repealed last year, it’s not surprising that the government lied to us about how good it is. It was good for the corrupt Democrat Party cronies, they made millions of dollars, but for the people, we got fleeced badly.
Obama care is a good program. Republicans don’t want to admit that. They have said the same thing about the state’s health insurance legislation that covers about 98% of the Hawaii residents.
Where’s your proof? Your statement is like me saying, “The moon is made of cheese”.
IIRC, in the 50’s when Democrats set up the current health insurance program for the state, Republicans felt that it was something the feds should do.
They opposed it because it was too expensive for business.But guess what, when all businesses have to switch, there is no unfair advantage from competitors who do not. Everyone switched and stayed in business. In some market segments, they all raised their prices similarly (small increases) to cover the extra cost.
This is like the minimum wage. Every business complains but some prices raise a little. The net result of the legislation by Hawaii Democrats is that 98% of the public got health coverage – the highest in the country.
You maroon, zerocare destroyed the healthcare system Hawaii had (which WAS one of the best in the nation).
You are absolutely correct – we had the best at one time. Obamacare caused many many good doctors to leave the system and retire early. This disaster is not a republican/democrat thing. Its a Barry fail thing for Hawaii.
Obamacare needs to be repealed by congress. It’s just plain and simple a disaster of a healthcare program.
And what would you replace it with? You have all the answers, tell us.
Duh!
“Unfortunately, I really can’t explain that (16,803) number since I don’t have any access to current files,” Kissel said. “I would, however, point out that our reports were always based on households, and we had to provide individual enrollees by performing a special system query. Those are the numbers we identified, and they’re in the company records the state is in possession of now. If the people in charge today can’t reconcile it, I’m sorry. I can’t do anything about it.”
Not a compelling response to instill trust and credibility. Has any Federal Law been violated? Perhaps an investigation to hold those accountable on the almost $200 million that was misused by the State. Personally, my wife attempted to work with the Exchange (after discontinuance in Hawaii)…very confusing website however you do end up with setting up email and will be communicated as such. The selection is not very competitive (providers and cost). Overall our premium which is negotiated by former company’s retiree program went up 52% (this really messed up 2016 budgeting). Will be moving to Medicare coverage later this year and the writing is on the wall concerning the recent upcharge / surcharge to premiums. In my opinion, this has ended up being a healthcare entitlement program and a good example of “wealth distribution” and I’m not talking about being wealthy…in my opinion the middle class and the elderly are going to be primary “givers” to this program. Personally, I hope that competition will open up and consideration be given to the guarantee medical benefits that are part of government retiree packages to individual and family. Then there’s the Quest coverage and those (more than you realize) who play the system and find they get more by not working and some who even may be guilty of fraud. To those who need it yes, I want to support…to those who play the system, shame. Something has got to done to have everyone participate rather than placing this on the backs of those who pay & play fair and support the system…just saying.
agree..Abercumbie was a disaster as Governor and this sham cost the public millions of dollars. Wonder why we can’t fund basic repairs at the UH? Ige may be as bad as Democrats are saying, but is weakness masks the reality: There is no money for much at all.
Ige should get credit for switching to the federal insurance software.
Ige had no choice, the Hawaii connector’s software did not work.
I personally attempted to use the State Connector to see if I could #1. Qualify for a subsidy…yes my reported income may have made me eligible…no it did not #2. Wanted to compare my employee negotiated premiums with Kaiser on the Exchange…marginal difference. However, to get #1 I called about three times and waited then left message…no response. Called again (#4) and finally got someone who said I did not qualify and then asked about #2 and was told system was “glitchy” and told me how to get on the system later to do my own research (I thought I was suppose to get some interactive help?). Later that eve on KHON there was a news piece that indicated the system was actually not operational. So with that being said…we had to switch…it wasn’t working and in my humble opinion still does not. So what can you do? You can call into provider and get quotes on “open market” and do it yourself…so why have the Exhange? By the way, you need to enroll our you will be penalized by the IRS (applied as a penalty on your tax filing) and to make sure you comply they hired a bunch of inspectors. Welcome to the Affordable Care Act.
sounds more like its buggy. It can enroll patients but it doesn’t do a good job of reporting statistics.
The need for a website is to prevent providers from denying or discouraging clients who they do not want.
No. This isn’t much of a story. The bigger news is that the Connector actually did register about 19,000 last year. We did get something for all that millions.
Whatever we got was grossly over priced, a massive waste of taxpayer’s money. Exactly like rail, an endless money pit. Typical government incompetence from the top down. No one has any intelligence, integrity, or ethical concerns for taxpayer’s money.
I’ve said it before, will say it again. Just another day in the little banana boat republic, 7th world of Hawaii Nei.
And it only cost $10,526.31 per person that signed up. What a bargain.
I believe it could be labeled “FRAUD” across the board.
Federal repoting of 16803 for 2015 and 15400 so far – this is the current discrepancy with the Connector. While the reporting from Kaiser and HMSA of 19300 indicates probably best that 4000 have not re-registered.
Probably Connector count of 40000 is a bug.The s/w was taking the number of individuals (close to 19000) and multiplying by something close to two for the median household. Uninsured single mothers? Maybe 4000 of them have 20 hours this year? Has our employment gone up last year?
Of course its inflated. its a government directed program and look who was in charge of making it look successful. Is anyone really surprised by this “discrepancy”?
Baloney. It’s a software bug. No malice involved. Machines don’t have ethical problems.
Software bug?? Who developed the software? CGI – friends of Obama. A computer is only as smart as the people who write the software. Guess they should have called Terminix to kill those bugs before investing another 130 million which disappeared into CGI’s bank.
still stupid comment. No one intentionally writes bugs into software.
You are correct CGI Group were responsible to provide a system that would effectively enroll and manage. Personally, I cannot comment on a “bug” in the software, however I just know the Connector and it’s live interactive (phone in) and website did not live up to what was promised. You can Goggle “CGI Health Connector” and review all criticism of same and yet we signed them on to handle the Connector…which was shut down…I still don’t get it. See my earlier post on my personal efforts to use the Connector. I was not simply commenting hearsay…it was my own experience and I would have been happy to provide sworn testimony on my own experience.
“No one intentionally writes bugs into software.” Not exactly. When you have utterly incompetent people writing the code they create bugs because they do not know what they are doing or how to properly beta test it to find and fix problems.
Read how three ultra smart, young computer coders created “Health Sherpa” after they gave up trying to use the federal government’s shoddy website. They did it in days, adjusted it to work better, at very little cost. The Nei should have hired some geeks like these versus going for a shoddy company where someone at the state got kickbacks.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrzURyfBHks Health Sherpa: HealthCare Site That Works
It’s interesting that you’re such an adamant defender of obamacare, much more than someone with an objective interest.
just proves gruber right, democrat voters are stupid. and, david hannum when he said there’s a sucker born every minute.
st1d: Thanks for the remindeer. I would have presumed that most had known about Johnathan Gruber and his comments about the public being “stupid” and would be easily fooled by the benefits of Obamacare / Affordable Care Act (ACA). For those who do not know who he is just Goggle his name and educate yourself on what we allowed to happen. ACA is just one of the many reasons why the so many registered voters are upset and I believe they will now be motivated to get out and cast a vote to turn things around. On top of that the failed Connector and having the CGI Group signed by the State of Hawaii after the failures around the country…again you then wonder why so many are not happy…sad.
Fraudulent at its best.
No oversight. No accountability. Fingers point at each other.
Is Kissel vacationing in the Bahamas?
Taxpayers take another HIT of their hard-earned dollars.