The Obamacare websites that allow customers to buy tax-subsidized insurance have markedly improved since they opened four years ago, according to a report released Tuesday by the National Partnership for Women and Families.
According to the report, assembled with consulting firm Avalere Health, the exchanges provided better transparency in 2017 than in previous years and a better consumer experience, including by providing tools that allow shoppers to better sort through the plans. The report examined the federal exchange that 39 states use, called healthcare.gov, as well as 11 state exchanges and another from the District of Columbia, and compares them to analyses released in 2015 and 2016.
“We’re pleased that, over time, the marketplaces have introduced new tools and functions that make important information about cost, coverage and quality more accessible and understandable for consumers,” National Partnership President Debra Ness said.
The websites faced major technological glitches when they opened in 2013, including long wait times and difficulty refreshing web pages. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services gradually added features to the site, including allowing consumers to see which doctors, hospitals and prescriptions were covered by various plans.
The report provided further recommendations for improving the exchanges, including encouraging the creation of mobile apps, incorporating a chat feature on sites and improving details provided to customers on what they could expect their out-of-pocket costs to be for the year.
The future of the exchanges are uncertain as Republicans debate how to repeal portions of Obamacare and as the Trump administration decides whether it will provide insurers will payments that help them reduce out-of-pocket medical expenses for low-income customers.
