'Through the roof' stress as CT health insurance glitch is corrected in open enrollment

Jan. 9—An issue that left some Connecticut residents confused and without access to their 2026 health insurance through the state's Affordable Care Act marketplace has been corrected, according to James Michel, CEO of Access Health CT.

In a statement to CT Insider, Michel explained that ConnectiCare, one of the available carriers on the exchange, moved its member records and billing to a new system for the 2026 open enrollment period. As a result, a "small number" of people enrolled in ConnectiCare were impacted by "reported consumer issues, and some minor issues that were identified have been corrected."

Staff at the exchange are working to notify those impacted and people may contact ConnectiCare directly for information regarding billing issues.

The processing error was first reported by CT Mirror on Friday morning. ConnectiCare is one of two companies that offer individual medical plans on the state's health exchange. However, in 2025, Molina Healthcare, a Fortune 500 company, acquired ConnectiCare as part of an expansion into the state. ConnectiCare and Molina Healthcare did not respond to CT Insider requests for comment.

Turning to social media and Reddit for answers, some consumers reported issues with processing, the insurance website and customer service delays since Jan. 1. Several pointed out "Connecticut" wasn't even an option in Molina's website state dropdown list; meanwhile, others said they hadn't heard about the acquisition until they tried accessing their information.

The state's Insurance Department "just began" hearing about these "issues," said Gerard O'Sullivan, assistant deputy commissioner and director of consumer affairs, in an email statement on Friday.

The department, he added, is actively working with both ConnectiCare and Access Health CT "to determine the scope of the problem," with more information expected in the coming days.

"Any consumer who is experiencing issues is encouraged to contact the Connecticut Insurance Department so we can review and intervene on individual cases," he said in an email statement.

For some consumers, like New Britain resident Alison Planco, the situation has added another layer of stress to an already chaotic open enrollment season as pandemic-era enhanced financial aid subsidies that expired on Jan. 1.

A professional nanny, Planco said she's relied on the exchange to access health care coverage for her and her son. She lives with severe chronic back pain, which, when it flares up, impacts her physical and emotional health and her livelihood. Her premiums had a relatively modest increase this year compared to last, due to the expired subsidies.

Although she enrolled and paid her premium before Dec. 25, Planco said she still hasn't received her new insurance card for the year. She checked online and confirmed she was enrolled and active, but couldn't access her card due to "technical difficulties."

She called ConnectiCare on Jan. 9 and, after being passed among three different representatives over about 45 minutes, was told her card would arrive in the mail within seven to 10 business days.

Planco added that she had no idea who Molina Healthcare was or that it was the new owner of ConnectiCare. Being in this insurance limbo, she said her stress levels have been "through the roof" and have subconsciously affected her day-to-day, as she tries to avoid a medical emergency without having access to her information.

"When I requested my card directly from ConnectiCare on the phone today, he said, 'If I had issues in the future, I should go to my Connecticut account.' And I said, 'Is that a different one than Molina?' He had no idea what I was talking about," Planco said. "I guess... even the people on the other side don't really seem to know what's going on. "

As of now, the future of the pandemic-era subsidies remains unclear. The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill to revive the enhanced subsidies, which now face the Senate.

In response to the uncertainty, Gov. Ned Lamont authorized $70 million in state funds to extend subsidies for more than 100,000 low- and middle-income families by a year. Connecticut officials also extended the 2026 marketplace open enrollment deadline to Jan. 31, and are considering extending it further.

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