The new public exchange program seems to be doing a great job of promoting the health insurance marketplace concept — for the benefit of private exchanges.
Josh Hilgers, president of Health Partners America, a health insurance sales support firm, said he gives the public exchanges a 75 percent to 90 percent chance of surviving into 2015, but private exchanges a 90 percent chance of dominating the market by 2020.
The government is good at setting rules and offering subsidies, but private companies are better at working with consumers, Hilgers said.
Hilgers laughed when asked how the first Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act exchange open enrollment compares with the rollout of any other health insurance program.
“This is definitely the worst ever,” Hilgers said.
Many exchange enrollment systems are working better than they were a few weeks ago, and HPA has figured out how to get its own call center reps certified, Hilgers said.