JUNEAU, Alaska — In the two weeks since ObamaCare went live, not a single individual in the entire state of Alaska has signed up.
“This system that cost more than $400 million, took three years to build, and was billed as a one-stop shop for individuals seeking health insurance is not working as advertised,” fumed Sen. Lisa Murkowski in a letter Monday to Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius,
“In its first two weeks of operation, I am told that no one was able to enroll in the Alaska Exchange.”
Glitches have been reported nationwide since online exchanges where individuals can browse for insurance opened on Oct. 1.
Alaska let the federal government set up an exchange for the state.
Tyann Boling, chief operating officer Enroll Alaska — the agency overseeing the program — confirmed that no one had signed up as of late last week.
“Now things are looking a little bit better this week,” she said. “It’s not for sure we’ve enrolled anybody yet, but things seems to be functioning a little bit better, but as of last week, we had not known of one person that had enrolled in the state of Alaska.”
Enroll Alaska receives commissions from insurance companies offering plans on the Alaska marketplace. Two companies, Premera Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alaska and Moda Health, are offering plans for Alaskans.
Murkowski requested weekly updates from the department on the number of Alaskans who attempt to enroll using the exchange and the number who are successful in doing so.