Can I Use a Paper Application to Get Obamacare?

 

If you want to apply for Obamacare (the Affordable Care Act) using a paper application, you can. Here's how to find the forms for Kansas.

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When Obamacare first launched, the federal and state health insurance marketplaces (also called “exchanges”) were plagued by technical troubles. Many people who tried to sign up for new health insurance plans online in the early days were unable to complete their applications.

Because of these difficulties, some individuals and application assistants turned to the old-school way of getting health insurance -- paper applications.

Applying on Paper May Not Be Better or Faster

When facing a slow or broken online health insurance exchange, using a paper application may seem tempting -- at least it would provide the feeling of getting something done. However, paper forms may not speed up the process at all. On the contrary, they could slow down your application even more.

The worker who reviews your paper application must manually enter the information from your forms into the same system you would use online at your state’s exchange. It won’t work any faster for them than it does for you. Plus, using a paper application opens up more opportunity for error by putting more people between you and your goal of getting insurance.

It’s still best to apply online if you can. That said, if you feel that you’re unlikely to come back and apply for health insurance later, you may want to go ahead and complete a paper application now. 

To get a paper application, call the Healthcare.gov customer service center and let them know you want to apply on paper. They'll point you to a downloadable application or send you one in the mail. For detailed Healthcare.gov contact information, see How To Sign Up for Obamacare in Kansas.


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Jurisdictional relevance: ST

There are versions of this article for each State.



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