Buzz
Consumers trying to enroll in health insurance on the federal exchange might encounter more difficulties this year due to the Equifax data breach, according to a report by Kaiser Health News.
If you’ve waited until now to sign up for health insurance and froze your credit after the breach, you could face significant issues. This is because Healthcare.gov relies on Experian, another credit bureau, to ask personal questions to verify your identity. If your credit is frozen, Experian cannot ask you these questions. As a result, you'll probably need to upload or mail documents to the Department of Health and Human Services.
A spokesperson from the Department of Health and Human Services stated that this situation affects only a small number of people and advised consumers not to unfreeze their credit. Here's additional information she provided:
Some consumers will be asked to verify their identity over the phone or submit documents online or by mail to our regular processing center in London, KY. Those individuals will receive a reference code and will be directed to the Experian call center to verify their identity through a phone conversation. Those who have frozen their credit will be sent directly to Experian’s call center without a reference code because their file is frozen.
Consumers who have frozen their credit will not be able to complete online identity verification on
HealthCare.gov
, as Experian will be unable to access their information. Those interested in enrolling in Marketplace coverage through the
HealthCare.gov
site with a credit freeze can verify their identity by submitting documents to the Marketplace instead of using the online identity verification service. Unfreezing their credit is not necessary (and we do not recommend it for identity verification). When a consumer begins their application on
HealthCare.gov
and is asked to verify their identity, they will be prompted to upload or mail in documents for identity confirmation.
Consumers can also enroll through the call center if they are concerned about completing the identity proofing process before the December 15 deadline.
In previous years, consumers who started their applications could finish them after the open enrollment period ended. However, it’s unclear whether this will be possible this year (and the DHS spokesperson did not clarify). If you’re enrolling in individual coverage, make sure to complete the process by Friday (note: some states have extended the open enrollment period).
Remember: 11 states manage their own exchanges, so this issue may not apply there as it does to the federal marketplace (for example, a spokesperson for New York State of Health confirmed that this is not a problem for their system).
