By Stella Davis
"The system (the state-run health exchange website) is freezing up and throwing out error messages." said Mandy Allison, an insurance producer with Montgomery Agency. "It's bogged down. Everyone is looking to see what is out there."
Allison said when she tried to enroll clients Tuesday morning through the website, she got as far as entering the name and birth date before the site froze up and kicked her off.
"It's been a challenge. Hopefully, they will get all the glitches worked out," she said.
Her afternoon attempts to enroll clients did not fare well either.
She said for the average person, the different health plans available through the exchange and who qualifies for help with subsidy premiums is confusing.
"I don't think anybody quite understands what it is," she said.
Allison said individuals have until Dec. 15 to enroll in a health insurance plan in order to have insurance on Jan 1. However, she said open enrollment is through March 31.
Gayla Cowart, owner of Cowart Insurance, said she had heard from other agents that getting on the state website was difficult and the system was extremely slow.
"It's just one website, and you have all these people trying to access it," she said, adding that she is still
in the process of completing the required training to become a certified broker.
Cowart said she will be certified by the end of the week and has existing customers waiting to sign up through the state health insurance exchange.
Cowart and Allison acknowledge there are many in the community who don't have access to a computer to sign up for a health insurance plan. They said if individuals don't want to go to a broker, there are other options.
Allison said the state is operating a toll-free call center. She said Carlsbad Medical Center also has staff on hand to assist people with navigating through the state health insurance system.
The state toll-free number is (855) 996-6449.
Allison said for people who can't drive, don't have access to computer or don't understand how to sign up for health insurance, agents at Montgomery Agency have laptop computers and will go to a person's home to help sign them up.
Stella Davis may be reached at 575-628-5546.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.