Cover Oregon board meeting

The Cover Oregon board of directors met December 12, 2013. The exchange on Friday began warning applicants that they will need to find coverage for Jan. 1 elsewhere if they don't get a phone call or mailing confirming enrollment by Monday.

(Michael Lloyd/The Oregonian)

Oregon's troubled health insurance exchange began robocalling applicants Friday, warning them that if they don't receive enrollment confirmation by Monday, they should seek coverage elsewhere for Jan. 1.

"If you haven't heard from us by Dec. 23, it is unlikely your application will be processed for Jan. 1 insurance coverage," a woman's voice on the pre-recorded call from

says. "If you want to be sure you have insurance coverage starting Jan. 1, you have other options."

It's yet another sign that

will prevent some -- perhaps many -- Oregonians from getting subsidized coverage Jan. 1, despite Gov. John Kitzhaber's

Out of more than 65,000 applicants, the exchange reports enrolling nearly 30,000, but only about 11,000 of them in private insurance plans.

The calls also suggest the exchange's problems will prevent many of those individuals from receiving tax credits or subsidies in January, even though they qualify for them.

Cover Oregon spokesman Michael Cox said Friday he did not know how many recorded calls were being made. They targeted individuals whose eligibility for tax credits has not been determined, Cox said, including those with incorrect applications.

Once their applications are processed, Cover Oregon will notify them either by a phone call from a call center representative or a mailing, and they can enroll over the phone or online, Cox said.

The exchange will continue to process applications, except for on Christmas Day, to meet its

for January coverage, he said. And applicants who get a call after Monday might still be able to enroll by year's end, he said.

But Cover Oregon decided to launch Friday's pre-recorded calls to address mounting concerns among applicants about possible gaps in coverage, he said.







"It's giving guidance to those folks who are nervous because they haven't heard form us and want and need coverage Jan. 1," Cox said.

Cover Oregon also posted a " Ro admap to Coverage" guide online that details other enrollment options.

The recorded call tells applicants that they can get coverage directly from an insurance company or through an agent. But they won't qualify for tax credits. Cox said he did not know if Cover Oregon would compensate individuals for tax credits or subsidies they lose in January because of the exchange's shortcomings.

Cover Oregon will continue processing applications for enrollment in February. Some insurance companies also have pledged to move individuals over to the exchange if they can show proof of tax-credit eligibility. They've also agreed to take the first binding premium payments

.

A spokeswoman for Kitzhaber did not immediately return a call seeking comment. Oregonians can still seek insurance coverage for 2014 on or off the exchange through March 31.