Feds tell plans to fix their own problems

Officials at the federal public exchange oversight agency say private exchange plan issuers should do more to resolve enrollees’ problems.

The Center for Consumer Information & Insurance Oversight says a qualified health plan issuer should resolve any problems it can resolve on its own, without referring the consumer or other stakeholder to HHS or an exchange call center for help, officials say.

Any exchange plan issuer that hasn’t already received an account at the federal exchange Health Insurance Casework System should get a HICS account, quickly, officials say in a new batch of casework guidance.

A plan issuer should monitor the HICS case lists closely and tell its exchange account manager about any activities that could lead to a flurry of new cases, officials say.

Officials note that they told the plan issuers about the HICS system back in September.