Some Decorah area residents are scrambling to get new health insurance coverage with the problems at CoOpportunity

A number of Decorah area families and businesses are being affected by the news that the State of Iowa has taken over the operation of CoOpportunity Health, an insurance company set up under the Affordable Care Act. 

State Insurance Commissioner Nick Gerhart announced the news the day before Christmas, which has sent some people scrambling to find new health insurance coverage.

CoOpportunity has stopped taking applications for coverage by new customers and individuals who are already customers for CoOpportunity are being told to find a different health insurance plan by February 15th.

Midwest Group Benefits' Brian Huinker is saddened by the news that CoOpportunity is struggling.  "They were well run," he says of CoOpportunity, adding that customers agreed they gave incredible customer service.  But the federal government agreed to extend to September of 2016 the deadline for existing Wellmark Blue Cross/Blue Shield customers to drop their existing policies.  Analysts say the move allowed Wellmark to keep most health Iowans and let CoOpportunity insure the Iowans with greater health problems.  "That's what did it," says Huinker.

Huinker says the news will affect around 200 individual customers and around 25 business customers that insure through his agency.  But existing customers will be affected in different ways. 

Huinker is advising individual customers to switch over to Coventry Health Care, which is owned by Aetna Insurance and is also listed on the health insurance exchange.  He says Coventry Health Care is a good choice for Decorah area residents, since Winneshiek Medical Center, Gundersen Health System and Family Care Clinic are all "in-network" providers--as are other area hospitals.

Huinker says the state hasn't yet said whether poeople who have group health insurance policies through CoOpportunity haven't been told yet whether they will be allowed to stay on CoOpportunity.  However, he emphasizes that CoOpportunity will continue to pay claims filed by existing customers--and that existing customers should continue to pay their premiums so they keep their coverage.

Huinker says people can go to www.healthcare.gov to change their health insurance plan or they can call his office at (563) 382-9611 to set up an appointment.  "We'd be happy to help," he says.