Updated: Murkowski Requests Updates on Enrollment in Alaska Exchange

Lisa_MurkowskiThis post has been updated with a copy of the letter sent by Senator Murkowski to Secretary Sebelius.

Alaska has yet to have one individual enroll in the new health insurance marketplace, and U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski wants weekly updates on future enrollments.

In a letter Monday to Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, Sen. Murkowski, R-Alaska, said no one in Alaska has been able to sign up.

“This system that cost more than $400 million, took three years to build, and was billed as a one-stop shop for individuals seeking health insurance is not working as advertised,” Murkowski wrote. “In its first two weeks of operation, I am told that no one was able to enroll in the Alaska Exchange.”

Enroll Alaska’s Chief Operating Officer, Tyann Boling, confirmed that no one has enrolled as of late last week.

“Now things are looking a little bit better this week,” she said. “It’s not for sure we’ve enrolled anybody yet, but things seems to be functioning a little bit better, but as of last week, we had not known of one person that had enrolled in the state of Alaska.”

In the letter, Murkowski requested weekly updates from the department on the number of Alaskans who attempt to enroll and the number who are successful in doing so in using the federal marketplace through Healthcare.gov.

The full letter can be found here: Sen. Murkowski letter to Sec. Sebelius.