Senate staffers are being warned not to assume they have health insurance just because they signed up for it on the D.C. health insurance portal and to confirm that they are insured, as technical issues with the website have apparently caused some people to be unsuccessful in their attempts to purchase insurance.
D.C. Health Link, the District’s healthcare portal, has experienced a number of technical difficulties over the past week.
“If you have not already done so, it is essential that you CONFIRM your coverage in DCHL through the Disbursing Office,” reads a memo from the Senate Disbursing Office, obtained by The Daily Caller. The Senate Disbursement Office “received confirmation letters for ALL Senate employees who successfully enrolled in DCHL,” and confirm the status of a staffer’s enrollment.
“Do NOT rely on your ‘My Account’ page or other correspondence from DCHL,” reads the memo.
“Please DO NOT ASSUME you are covered unless you have seen the Confirmation Letter from the Disbursing Office!” the memo exhorts staffers.
Staffers were required to enroll in health insurance by Monday of this week. Those for whom the Disbursement Office does not have a confirmation letter did not successfully do so and will not have health insurance beginning on January 1.
For those people who tried to enroll but were not successful, the Disbursement Office can open a ‘Special Enrollment Period’ that will extend until December 16, so that they can still get insurance for the new year.
“There is zero chance that I would risk my healthcare for next year in the hands of D.C. Obamacare,” one GOP Senate staffer, who plans to take extra steps to confirm that the insurance application was successful, told The Daily Caller.