2.6 million 'inconsistencies' in federal insurance applications

(HealthDay)—Two new U.S. reports suggest it's possible that people who signed up for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act on the federal government's health care website—or state websites in California and Connecticut—may not have been eligible for that coverage; or, they may not have been eligible to receive federal subsidies that assist in paying for insurance coverage.

The reports were issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Inspector General. According to the Washington Post, they cited concerns over "internal controls" for verifying Social Security numbers, citizenship status, and a person's eligibility to purchase health insurance through the insurance websites, or exchanges.

One of the reports found that the federal marketplace couldn't resolve more than 2.6 million of nearly three million "inconsistencies" found between federal records and documentation provided by insurance applicants. However, the report noted that an inconsistency doesn't necessarily mean someone provided inaccurate information.

Both reports were based on the marketplaces' records from October through December of last year. That was the first half of the initial six-month signup period for insurance under the health care law, the Post reported.

Copyright © 2014 HealthDay. All rights reserved.