kynect Call Center Adds Sunday Hours in December
Health benefit exchange call center open seven days a week for expected enrollment peak
LEXINGTON, Ky. (December 6, 2013) – Governor Steve Beshear has extended the hours for the call center supporting the Commonwealth’s health benefit exchange during what is expected to be a peak enrollment period.
Administrators for the kynect health benefit exchange expect a surge in applications in December. For insurance coverage to take effect on January 1, 2014, it must be purchased through an exchange by Monday, December 23.
The kynect call center will be open seven days a week from Sunday, December 8, through Sunday, December 22. Sunday hours for the call center are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET. Contact center professionals are helping Kentuckians navigate the exchange and explain the health insurance options available to them.
“The kynect health benefit exchange has enrolled more than 69,000 people in healthcare coverage since October 1, but there are still more Kentuckians who want to sign up for insurance before the end of the year. Keeping the call center open on Sundays will help kynect deliver the same high-quality consumer experience even when numbers of callers spike,” said Gov. Beshear. “As we work toward our goal of ensuring all Kentuckians have access to affordable healthcare coverage, this facility – where Kentuckians help Kentuckians – plays a key role in helping citizens understand the process.”
The contact center, a major component of the Affordable Care Act, is operated through a contract with Xerox. As a condition of the contract, kynect stipulated that the call center be operated in Kentucky.
The Lexington, Ky., contact center began operation on August 15, several weeks in advance of open enrollment. Since opening, the center has received more than 180,000 calls.
“As the year winds down, we are ramping up at the kynect contact center,” said Connie Harvey, corporate vice president and chief operating office, Healthcare Services, Xerox. “The kynect contact center is there for people as they select and purchase health insurance – maybe for the first time – when it’s convenient for them. These are important decisions for people, and we’re helping simplify the process.”
Customer care representatives are available to answer questions about kynect and to help citizens navigate the online application process. Representatives are available via phone, live online chat and email. Kentuckians without internet access can also get help completing and filing applications over the phone.
The contact center provides assistance in English and Spanish as well as other languages, and
can be reached at 1-855-4kynect (459-6328). In December, the contact center is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET, and on Saturdays and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET.
The kynect website can be found at www.kynect.ky.gov. Open enrollment through kynect will continue through March 31, 2014, with coverage effective as early as Jan. 1, 2014. Federal funding from the ACA supports contact center staffing and training through 2014.