"Let's just make sure it's not a third-world experience," Henry Chao, CMS deputy CIO, said of the federal government's goal for the consumer experience in health insurance exchanges. Among the "young invincibles" needed for functioning exchange markets, though, the online experience may make or break their interest in buying insurance.
For a sense of what that experience can be and should be, the Massachusetts Connector is decent guide. Created in 2006 about half-a-decade after Americans first started buying insurance online, on eHealthInsurance.com, the Connector was the model for the Affordable Care Act's exchanges.
The Connector website may have evolved over the past several years and young techies might have suggestions on more elegant designs for it. But to a 20-something in New England, the experience is at least second-world and indeed fairly akin to Amazon.com or Travelocity.com.
Here's what a 24-year-old from the small western Massachusetts city of Holyoke would see:
After entering your employment status and family size, you're taken to a page with two options: more background information on the types of health plans available, a "plan helper," or the option to go ahead and start browsing.
A 24-year-old in Holyoke has a fairly large choice of 72 plans from several tiers: young adult plans (YAPs, available for 18-26 year olds), bronze, silver and gold.
The website tabs lets users break out the different plan tiers and see the actual health plans, with monthly premiums and cost-sharing for deductibles, doctors visits, prescription drugs and hospital vists.
Silver plans, and seven gold plans, for "young invincibles" who may be risk-averse.
More information on a young adult plan, with the option below to search for provider networks.
After selecting a plan, you confirm your identity and residency before formally applying for the plan to the insurer.
