As much as it pains me to report this, there have been problems with the paper applications in Maryland, which may lead to people who are counting on having coverage as of January 1st, not having coverage. According to The Washington Post:
Problems with Maryland’s online insurance exchange, including with paper applications that were supposed to provide a fail-safe backup plan, are so severe that community groups have begun warning uninsured clients that they may not obtain coverage as intended by Jan. 1.
State officials began this week to contact all people whose applications are still pending, urging them to contact the state call center, try the state Web site again or get in touch with a certified insurance broker for help.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/...
As you might be aware, there have been numerous problems with the Maryland website. Therefore, many Marylanders thought that it would be better for them to complete paper applications. Apparently, this is not the case, as the paper applications are processed through the website.
But it turned out the paper method does not enable consumers to completely avoid the online insurance marketplaces. In Maryland, workers must enter information from the application into the online system to determine whether an applicant is eligible for Medicaid coverage or for a subsidy to help pay for private coverage. . . . Navigators and other workers have run into a constellation of problems using the paper forms. Only certain government buildings, for example, allow Internet access to the “back end” of the online system to allow manual entry. And manual entry is plagued by errors that prevent navigators from finishing the process, leaving applications in limbo.
In two weeks of trying, one navigator said she was able to complete manual entry for just six paper applications out of dozens that she tried.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/...
So if you know someone who is counting on obtaining coverage in Maryland through the exchange as of January 1st, please alert them to the problems with the paper applications so that they can take the steps needed to make sure that they have coverage. I'd hate to see someone with a chronic condition not having access to medical care or their medications as of January 1st due to the problems with the Maryland Insurance Exchange, something which the ACA was supposed to remedy.