Should insurers directly enroll consumers into exchange plans?

Even though the federal government has been able to resolve many problems with the troubled HealthCare.gov website--a key White House official says the error rate dropped below 1 percent--the Obama administration is still considering other enrollment methods. "We're interested in engaging or opening as many channels for enrollment as possible because the goal here is not to have the best possible website--and we're far from that," White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said, USA Today reported. In particular, the Obama administration is exploring whether insurers can directly enroll consumers themselves. But many insurers don't want to assume the responsibility of verifying subsidy eligibility, and Republicans are concerned about keeping consumers information private. But Carney pushed the idea of direct enrollment during a recent press briefing. "It's the end here that matters, not necessarily the means," he said. "The means are important and we have made clear our shared frustration with the problems that the website has experienced, but we have to make sure that there are other means available for the American people, even as we make improvements to the website. Article