Health Care Marketplace Whining Already?

I loved this. After hearing the Republicans whine and complain for years that people should know the cost of health care and have some “skin in the game,” they’re now crying about all the hoops they’ll have to go through to signing up for Obamacare.

What a bunch of cry babies.

Leader Telegram: Applying for benefits ... could be as daunting as doing your taxes. The government's draft application runs 15 pages for a three-person family. An outline of the online version has 21 steps, some with additional questions.

The idea that getting health insurance could be as easy as shopping online at Amazon or Travelocity is starting to look like wishful thinking. At least three major federal agencies, including the IRS, will scrutinize your application. Checking your identity, income and citizenship is supposed to happen in real time, if you apply online. That's just the first part of the process ... The government asks to see what you're making because Obama's Affordable Care Act is means-tested, with lower-income people getting the most generous help to pay premiums. Once you're finished with the money part, actually picking a health plan will require additional steps, plus a basic understanding of insurance jargon.

Oh no, this would have never happened with an insurance agent? 

And it's a mandate ... The law says virtually all Americans must carry health insurance starting next year ... Some are concerned that a lot of uninsured people will be overwhelmed and simply give up.

The government estimates its online application will take a half hour to complete, on average. If you need a break, or have to gather supporting documents, you can save your work and come back later. The paper application is estimated to take an average of 45 minutes.

Sounds like the amount of time it took for me to sign up for Badgercare. Big deal.

HHS estimates it will receive more than 4.3 million applications for financial assistance in 2014, with online applications accounting for about 80 percent of them. Because families can apply together, the government estimates 16 million people will be served
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HHS spokeswoman Erin Shields Britt said in a statement the application is a work in progress, "being refined thanks to public input." It will "help people make apples-to-apples comparisons of costs and coverage between health insurance plans and learn whether they can get a break in costs," she added.

But what if you just want to buy health insurance in your state's exchange, and you're not interested in getting any help from the government? You'll still have to fill out an application, but it will be shorter.