It appears that, after Week One, the Obamacare online
health exchanges are malfunctioning much worse than initially reported.
health exchanges are malfunctioning much worse than initially reported.
Over the weekend, the Obama administration shut down
these Internet portals during the evening hours to make fixes. Officials said today
the improvements will boost the speed of these sites by one-third. The
problem is, one-third of zero is still zero.
these Internet portals during the evening hours to make fixes. Officials said today
the improvements will boost the speed of these sites by one-third. The
problem is, one-third of zero is still zero.
All across the country, millions of people were either
unable to get on healthcare.gov (or their state’s site) or were quickly knocked
off shortly after gaining initial access.
unable to get on healthcare.gov (or their state’s site) or were quickly knocked
off shortly after gaining initial access.
As an experiment, I tried to go on the Michigan section
of the federal site several times a day from Tuesday’s rollout through Friday
and never got far enough to actually look at the 50 plans offered in the
Detroit area.
of the federal site several times a day from Tuesday’s rollout through Friday
and never got far enough to actually look at the 50 plans offered in the
Detroit area.
The Obama administration said the huge amount of traffic
on these sites caused the glitches. That’s understandable for the first few
hours, not for the first four days. How could the Health and Human Services
Department not be prepared for
on these sites caused the glitches. That’s understandable for the first few
hours, not for the first four days. How could the Health and Human Services
Department not be prepared for
a rush of potential shoppers in the opening
days?
days?
The haphazard approach taken in this endeavor sounds like
a Saturday Night Live skit. In fact, it was. On the program’s weekly news
segment, the new co-anchor, Cecily Strong, asked how the administration could
offer insurance for millions of people and then not be prepared when millions
of people show up online for insurance.
a Saturday Night Live skit. In fact, it was. On the program’s weekly news
segment, the new co-anchor, Cecily Strong, asked how the administration could
offer insurance for millions of people and then not be prepared when millions
of people show up online for insurance.
“That’s kinda like 1-800-FLOWERS being caught by surprise
by Valentine’s Day,” Strong joked.
by Valentine’s Day,” Strong joked.
This reminds me of the incompetence demonstrated when the
White House announced months ago that the insurance requirements for businesses
with 50 or more employees (not “Big Business,” as heard in the talking points)
would be delayed for one year. They had three years to set up this system, which
affects less than 4 percent of employers, and they failed to meet their
deadline.
White House announced months ago that the insurance requirements for businesses
with 50 or more employees (not “Big Business,” as heard in the talking points)
would be delayed for one year. They had three years to set up this system, which
affects less than 4 percent of employers, and they failed to meet their
deadline.
Now, administration officials are comparing the technical
problems the exchanges for individuals have experienced to the glitches
experienced during rollouts by major tech companies, such as Apple.
problems the exchanges for individuals have experienced to the glitches
experienced during rollouts by major tech companies, such as Apple.
“If
Apple launched a major new product that functioned as badly as Obamacare’s
online insurance marketplace, the tech world would be calling for (CEO) Tim
Cook’s head,” responded Ezra Klein of The Washington Post.
Apple launched a major new product that functioned as badly as Obamacare’s
online insurance marketplace, the tech world would be calling for (CEO) Tim
Cook’s head,” responded Ezra Klein of The Washington Post.
On
his “Wongblog” site, Klein noted that a group of computer geeks had created a
thread on Reddit.com in which they vilified the exchange portals for a series
of inexcusable mistakes in coding and set-up. Klein, like myself, had trouble
even getting the site to accept a chosen user name.
his “Wongblog” site, Klein noted that a group of computer geeks had created a
thread on Reddit.com in which they vilified the exchange portals for a series
of inexcusable mistakes in coding and set-up. Klein, like myself, had trouble
even getting the site to accept a chosen user name.
“Yes,
the overwhelming crush of traffic is behind many of the web site’s failures.
But the web site was clearly far, far from prepared for traffic at anywhere
near these levels,” Klein wrote. “That’s a planning flaw: The Obama
administration badly underestimated the level of interest. The fact that the
traffic is good news for the law doesn’t obviate the fact that the site’s
inability to absorb that traffic is bad news for the law.”
the overwhelming crush of traffic is behind many of the web site’s failures.
But the web site was clearly far, far from prepared for traffic at anywhere
near these levels,” Klein wrote. “That’s a planning flaw: The Obama
administration badly underestimated the level of interest. The fact that the
traffic is good news for the law doesn’t obviate the fact that the site’s
inability to absorb that traffic is bad news for the law.”
The
result is that, as today dawned, it appeared that hardly anyone in America had
actually signed up for a private plan through Obamacare. Officials were not releasing any figures for enrollment on the federal site.
result is that, as today dawned, it appeared that hardly anyone in America had
actually signed up for a private plan through Obamacare. Officials were not releasing any figures for enrollment on the federal site.
Last week, a
21-year-old student from Georgia emerged in local media as one of that state’s
first customers to sign up. It turned out that he was the only successful
applicant the national media could find anywhere.
21-year-old student from Georgia emerged in local media as one of that state’s
first customers to sign up. It turned out that he was the only successful
applicant the national media could find anywhere.
“…Health
care reporters were desperately
trying to find even one,” Klein wrote. “Eventually, Chad Henderson of Georgia was located. He
was subsequently interviewed by pretty much every news organization in the
country. According to his Facebook page, he was also asked to be on a
conference call put on by the Department of Health and Human Services, which
suggests that they’re not exactly overwhelmed with successful applicants to
trot out before the press.”
care reporters were desperately
trying to find even one,” Klein wrote. “Eventually, Chad Henderson of Georgia was located. He
was subsequently interviewed by pretty much every news organization in the
country. According to his Facebook page, he was also asked to be on a
conference call put on by the Department of Health and Human Services, which
suggests that they’re not exactly overwhelmed with successful applicants to
trot out before the press.”
