The technical glitches that have plagued the launch of the new federal health insurance exchange provide a cautionary tale for carriers thinking of selling small-business coverage direct to consumers over the web.
That is, you'd better make sure your tech processing system functions properly before you launch, because you may not get a second chance with consumers.
Public health insurance exchanges have an advantage that private carriers selling online may not necessarily share. Under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, individual consumers are mandated to get health insurance either through their employer, purchased on their own, or granted via Medicaid or Medicare programs. Otherwise, they will have to pay a penalty on their federal income tax forms.
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