Though I finally did receive an invoice this week, thus eradicating my certainty that I had a life-threatening illness, Kaiser said it would research why it had taken so long. The company says that more than 90 percent of its enrollments have been processed, and that the remainder would be completed by the end of this week.
I asked Fragola if someone who has not yet paid because of a delay in invoicing could still obtain covered medical care.
“Yes,” he said. "Kaiser Permanente has taken steps to ensure that all members seeking medical care, including new members, are able to receive the care they need when they need it. We also have begun contacting members to make sure they know that any processing delays do not affect their ability to get care.”
Phones Jammed
I’m not the only one, apparently, experiencing Affordable Care angst as the system has finally come online. KQED’s California Report on Tuesday received this email from an anxious listener:
“I applied before the deadline, and successfully received confirmation of coverage,” she wrote. “Then nothing. No email. No snail mail. I have written, called, waited. There is apparently no phone number on the Covered California website or any of its links that is answered by a human. Same with Anthem, the company I chose for coverage. I’ve stayed on hold for multiple hours. Now Anthem has a recording saying they cannot take calls at this time (9 a.m. Monday). I imagine how frustrating this would be for people who have less time and fewer skills.”
Darrel Ng, spokesperson for Anthem, told us: “We have an overwhelming demand of callers at this point. Not just Anthem, but (all) plans across the country. We received a million calls in the first two business days of the year. That far exceeds what we normally get in a month.”
Ng said the company has hired hundreds of customer service personnel and expanded its hours to deal with the influx of new customers.
Anne Gonzales, public information officer for Covered California, said that it can handle 1,288 callers simultaneously. After that, up to 550 callers can be put into a holding queue. More than that, callers will get a message that no more calls can be taken. And if the system hits 2,577 callers at the same time, some people will experience the ultimate in morale-crushing customer service experiences: the dreaded fast busy signal.
On the plus side, Gonzales said Covered California has now finished all electronic transfers to participating insurance companies and has moved on to the paper applications. Cold comfort if you're still waiting and anxious. But here's something to keep in mind: “If there was a good faith effort by an enrollee to start an application by Dec 23, everyone is honoring that,” she said of the insurance companies.
Contact Information for Insurers
In the meantime, Gonzales said, if you haven’t received an invoice yet, you should still try to pay by the Jan 15 deadline. If your insurer will let you, that is.
Covered California has created a page called How to Pay with information on payment methods for all 11 of its plans. We've reproduced it here, including phone numbers you can call if you have not yet received your invoice (fair warning that you are still likely to wait on hold):
Health Plan |
Pay by Phone |
Pay Online |
Pay by Mail |
No Invoice Received? |
Anthem Blue Cross |
(855) 634-3381
Have your Subscriber ID or Social Security number |
Visit the payment landing page www.anthem.com/ca/ paymentlanding
for further details |
Please reference the information found on the payment letter. |
(855) 634-3381 |
Blue Shield of California |
(855) 836-9705. Have your Case # or Social Security number |
http://service.health plan.com/
blueshieldca/binder. Have your Social Security Number |
P.O. Box 60514, City of Industry, CA, 91716-0514
Have your Certificate Number from your Invoice to payment; add your invoice stub |
Go to http://service.healthplan.com/ Have your Social Security Number available |
Chinese Community Health Plan |
N/A |
For first-time payment: log in to your CoveredCA.com account; follow payment instructions |
445 Grant Avenue, #700 San Francisco, CA 94108
Add your invoice stub |
(877) 224-7808 |
Contra Costa Health Plan |
(855) 957-2247
Select Option 2, include Covered CA ID |
http://coveredcc.org/ payment
include Covered CA ID |
Contra Costa Health Plan
P.O.Box 2390
Omaha NE
68103
include Covered CA ID |
(855) 957-2247
include Covered CA ID |
Health Net |
(877) 200-9260
Have your Subscriber ID and payment method.
(If you don't have your Subscriber ID go to www.healthnet.com/
getmyid to obtain one) |
Online payments accepted only after first payment |
P.O. Box 60515
City of Industry, CA
91716-0515
Add Subscriber ID to payment |
Go to www.healthnet.com/
getmyid to obtain your ID and call
(877) 200-9260
to make your payment |
Kaiser Permanente |
Have Account number, invoice number, and subscriber last name from invoice available.
Northern California
(866) 475-3920
(866) 733-7787 Spanish
Southern California
(866) 450-5648
(866) 733-7775 Spanish |
www.kp.org/paypremium |
P.O. Box 7192
Pasadena CA 91109-7192
Follow the directions on your invoice. |
Northern California
(866) 475-3920
(866) 733-7787 Spanish
Southern California
(866) 450-5648
(866) 733-7775 Spanish |
L.A. Care
Health Plan |
(855) 270-2327
(TTY/TDD 1-855-576-1620)
Have your Case # or Social Security number |
www.lacarecovered.org/
makeapayment
Have your Customer and Invoice Number |
L.A. Care Covered
P.O. Box 515389
Los Angeles, CA
90051
Add Case # to payment |
(855) 270-2327 |
Molina Healthcare Inc. |
(888) 858-2150
Have your Covered CA ID or Social Security number |
www.molinahealthcare.com/
payment |
P.O. Box 7010
Pasadena, CA
91109-7010
Add Case # to payment |
(888) 858-2150
Have your Covered CA ID or Social Security number |
Sharp Health Plan |
(800) 359-2002
Have your Sharp Member ID # or Social Security number |
www.sharphealthplan.com/
payment |
P.O. Box 57248
Los Angeles, CA
90074-7248
Add Case # to payment |
(800) 359-2002 |
Valley Health Plan |
N/A |
N/A |
Los Angeles Lockbox
County of Santa Clara
PO Box 740300
Los Angeles, CA
90074-0300
Only taking money orders and checks -- follow directions on invoice |
(888) 421-8444 |
Western Health Advantage |
(888) 442-2206
Have your WHA ID #, or Social Security number |
For first-time payment: log in to your CoveredCA.com account; follow payment instructions |
WHA, DEPT 34668
PO BOX 39000
San Francisco, CA 94139
--------------------------------- |
(888) 442-2206
Have your WHA ID #, or Social Security number |
Don't forget: If you haven’t signed up yet, open enrollment runs until Mar. 31. Here is the breakdown in deadlines:
- Enroll by Jan. 15 for coverage that starts Feb. 1
- Enroll by Feb 15 for coverage that starts Mar. 1
- Enroll by Mar. 15 for coverage that starts Apr. 1
- Enroll by Mar. 31 for coverage that starts May 1