No one seems to be able to verify my identity on the health care exchange.

[Gravitycollapse]

I have entered all relevant information online and was rejected. I called the telephone number offered and was told my identification was already verified and that I should wait 48 hours for the website to update. That was nearly 3 weeks ago. I called the health care exchange hotline last friday and spoke to someone who was, generally speaking, incompetent. Not incompetent in the sense that she didn't know what she was talking about. More so in the sense that she had the attention span of a gold fish. I don't remember how many times I told her I was calling to resolve the issue with identity verification. But I would tell her and she would forget literally 30 seconds later.

I spent half an hour on the phone with her. I could tell she wasn't going to fix the problem. She told me she had and that I should wait until today for the website to update.

Well, I just logged in to view my application and there has been no change to the status regarding my identity.


If this were a private enterprise, I would already have reported it to the BBB.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. That just sucks. I have no idea what to suggest.

I hope someone else will...

I'm sorry.

[frazzled]

2. Did you ever try to have a conversation with an AT&T representative?

I did, and it was like talking to a rock for 30 minutes. So we decided to go in person to clear up the issue ... and the in-store guy (get this!) calls the same number to talk to a representative, who knows nothing! I mean honestly, if I wanted to be put on hold for a half-hour to talk to the same rock, I could have done it from home. it ended with us asking to have our phones unlocked so we could switch to T-Mobile.

How AT&T manages to survive as a private enterprise is beyond me. I'm not surprised the government isn't appreciably better, especially as this is such a massive new undertaking.

Still, I hope they get their act together soon.

[alc]

10. I was going to post the same thing about my recent AT&T experience

The OP's description sounded just like what I went through except I was passed around to a total of 4 different AT&T reps who couldn't remember what I told them 10 seconds ago or why I called in the first place or what the web site was telling me that was wrong.

The big difference seems to be that after my AT&T issues my problem was resolved plus a $60 credit for my inconvenience. The $60 is the only reason I'm still with them (for now), which is probably how they survive - screw everyone and pay off the people who complain. I also have a lot of free uverse stuff for a year because of a previous problem.

[SharonAnn]

18. have to agree. I'm divesting myself from AT&T services. Started with land line, then TV,

now email, soon cell phone.

A once great company is now terrible. But, it's expensive.

[W_HAMILTON]

3. The identity verficiation is done through a private enterprise (Experian).

I had the same problem as you.

Did you upload any verifying documents like they asked?

I uploaded my driver's license, but then my identity was apparently rejected (???), lol.

I just plan to wait a few weeks for the kinks to get worked out and then I will try it out again.

[Gravitycollapse]

5. Yes, I uploaded my driver's license. Eventually we will run out of "waiting time...

Because you have to have the application completed by, I believe, December 15th in order to have the benefits start on the 1st of January.

[W_HAMILTON]

7. I plan to wait until, say, the middle of November.

Then try the process again. It sounds like you tried to sign up early on, when the website was first opened up? I did the same, so maybe we are in super glitch land I'm hoping once they go through and fix the other glitches, I will be able to re-verify my identity or start a new application with the glitches worked out.

I wouldn't stress out over it too much right now. We still have a long time to go before December 15th!

[ProSense]

4. Apply by phone

President Obama:

And, by the way, there are a lot of people who want to take advantage of this who are more comfortable working on the phone anyway or in person. So let me go through the specifics as to how you can do that if you’re having problems with the website or you just prefer dealing with a person.

Yesterday, we updated the website’s home page to offer more information about the other avenues to enroll in affordable health care until the online option works for everybody. So you’ll find information about how to talk to a specialist who can help you apply over the phone or to receive a downloadable application you can fill out yourself and mail in.

We’ve also added more staff to the call centers where you can apply for insurance over the phone. Those are already -- they've been working. But a lot of people have decided first to go to the website. But keep in mind, these call centers are already up and running. And you can get your questions answered by real people, 24 hours a day, in 150 different languages. The phone number for these call centers is 1-800-318-2596. I want to repeat that -- 1-800-318-2596. Wait times have averaged less than one minute so far on the call centers, although I admit that the wait times probably might go up a little bit now that I've read the number out loud on national television. (Laughter.)

Transcript: http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023895497

https://www.healthcare.gov/

[Gravitycollapse]

6. Yes, that appears as though it will be my only option.

Doesn't excuse the deplorable state of the website, though.

[pscot]

8. Maybe you're not who you

think you are.

[madokie]

9. Seems to me you've had several post now condemning the ACA

If it was me I'd wait a few weeks for them to get the kinks worked out. There is strong suspicion that the site has been hacked from day one.
Seems strange to me that most people aren't having these problems yet a few are having problems over and over.

[Gravitycollapse]

11. I'm not condemning the ACA. I'm saying the enrollment program is being run like shit.

Are we no longer allowed to complain about incompetence because we support the Democrats? Give me a break.

PS: I don't appreciate you accusing me of running some sort of campaign against the ACA.

[madokie]

12. I'm not accusing you of anything

simply pointing out the obvious

[Gravitycollapse]

14. "Pointing out the obvious" to you is accusing me of running a campaign against the ACA.

I realize you're probably paranoid about any criticism against the ACA because of the Republicans. But the reality is the enrollment process so far has been an utter disaster.

Hence, we have the administration admitting to this in press conferences and statements. So if you have a problem with me saying the same, you've got a problem with President Obama saying the same.

[enlightenment]

26. I suspect there are a lot of people on DU that are having problems -

but don't bother posting about them because they will, inevitably, be accused of either exaggerating the extent of their problem or flat-out lying in order to "condemn" the ACA. This is sometimes done more subtly, as in your post - or blatantly, as some others who consistently haul out "troll" in their reply.

And who is seriously saying the government website was hacked? Isn't it enough that it has been admitted - from the top down - that the site was not ready for prime-time when it launched? Is it so important for the ACA to be seen as the best thing since sliced bread that foolish conspiracy theories have to be presented to deflect from the obvious?

[Zorra]

13. Does it say "Identity Verification Pending" on your profile, but you still keep getting a

message about how your identity could not be verified, and that you need to send in documentation?

That's what keeps happening to me. Also, every time I would complete an online application (maybe 20 or more times so far, lol) the next time I would access the application it would tell me that my application was in progress and needed to be completed. Each time I accessed my application, some of the information that I had already provided was missing. Sometimes it was my address, sometimes my income info, sometimes it was my gender, sometimes it was my employer info, yada yada yada.

I swear, Hannibal Lechner is a real person, and the RW hired him to design healthcare.gov in order to send us all to the psych ward with Obamacare Frustration Psychosis.

So, anyway, I completed my application over the phone (for the fifth time, lol), and I checked today and they actually still had a completed application on record. But that it will take 2 - 3 weeks to find out (through the mail!) if my identity was verified, and if I am indeed eligible for subsidized insurance, which I obviously am.

But I'm skeptical, and believe this is just another unspeakably wicked part of the sadistic genius plan of Hannibal Lechner and his healthcare.gov website to drive us all off the rails for good - in 2 weeks I suspect that they will tell me that I never filed an application, and that I need to fill out a new one, as well as send in my identity documents (for the tenth time, lol)

At which point, I will be so psychologically traumatized that I will no longer be mentally and emotionally competent to fill out an application for anything, and will not be able to get the insurance to pay for the mental health treatment I will so desperately need after being thoroughly tortured by Hannibal Lechner and his healthcare.gov torture machine.

please, please, somebody help me!


Sincerely,
Agent Clarice Starling

[Gravitycollapse]

16. It's Hannibal Lecter. And, yes, that is exactly the issue with my application.

Although I'm not being driven to psychosis by it. I just find it unacceptable.

[Zorra]

24. Are you in AZ? nt

[Gravitycollapse]

27. Yes.

[CK_John]

25. Have you gotten a credit report from any of the 3 credit services? You should just.

to insure some else is not using your identity. I think you can get an annual free report or a small fee but check your credit file.

[Warren DeMontague]

15. Did you sign up under "Gravitycollapse"?

Or a different name?

[Gravitycollapse]

17. Are you asking me if I used a fraudulent name to fill out my application?

[Warren DeMontague]

20. Maybe your name is actually Gravity Collapse. I don't know.

My name is actually Warren DeMontague.

[Gravitycollapse]

21. Cool. I used my real name for the application and it is not my user name.

[Warren DeMontague]

22. Only suggestion I can think of reading your OP is that you call back and try to get someone who is

not as incompetent as the prior person.

Good luck.

[The Straight Story]

19. I can't imagine the problems Dr. Who would have trying to sign up

[Fumesucker]

23. You're not fooling us

[GizmoChicken]

28. I'm having the same issue.

In my case, I created my account on Oct 6, at which time I fell into the "identity verification pending" status. I uploaded, or at least attempted to upload, a copy of ID page from my passport on the same day that I created my account. About a week later, since I was still in the "identity verification pending" status, I mailed a copy of the ID page from my passport to a Kentucky postal address, as directed in notice that I downloaded from my account page. And then the week after that, I called the help center to check on my status, and I've called several times since then. Each time that I've called, I have been asked for a "reference number" which I don't have. Supposedly, my case has been "escalated" and I've been promised a call back within two business days. Let's hope so.

I'll just add that my wife created an account, including ID verification, a few days ago without incident. So maybe this is a bug that is affecting early adopter.

Oh, I'll also add that I support the ACA. The ACA could use a few tweaks, but I support it nonetheless. That said, the healthcare.gov website really is a disaster. From what I've read, the Covered California site seems to be working pretty well. Too bad the Federal site doesn't work as well. Here's hoping that the Federal site will copy the code from California's site.

[gopiscrap]

29. welcome to DU

[snooper2]

30. PM me all your info and I'll get you signed up

easy peasy!

[GizmoChicken]

31. Easy peasy?

If so easy peasy, how about posting instructions here, so we don't have to send personal and/or confidential information to a "snooper"?

[snooper2]

32. sure

Get your PC up and running-

Open your favorite browser be it IE, Google Chrome, Firefox,

copy this in the address bar, technically known as the URL-

https://www.healthcare.gov/


Click enter-

Away you go!