Obama Administration: Obamacare Will Meet Enrollment Targets Despite Website Glitches

[ProSense]

Obama Administration: Obamacare Will Meet Enrollment Targets Despite Website Glitches

By Igor Volsky

Obama administration officials said on Monday that they expect to meet their targets for enrolling the uninsured in Obamacare despite the well publicized glitches in HealthCare.gov — the federal government’s online portal for buying health care coverage in the law’s new marketplaces.

Speaking to reporters after President Obama publicly addressed the law’s rocky roll out from the White House, senior administration officials expressed confidence that the public’s enthusiasm for obtaining coverage and the alternative pathways for signing-up for insurance will ensure that the law is successful. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) predicts that seven million people will sign up for insurance in the health care exchanges between October and March, including 2.7 million young and healthy people.

The officials pointed to past experiences in Massachusetts and Medicare Part D, where individuals waited until the final week and days to enroll, and predicted that Obamacare would follow a similar trajectory.

“It would have been better from our perspective that there not be glitches that occurred in the system and the technology worked flawlessly from beginning to end. That’s not the case and that’s our responsibility now,” a senior administration official said. “Importantly, just given the way what we saw in Massachusetts and given the way we expect people to come back, it’s mid-to-late November and then in December is when the actual shopping — the real shopping — in the marketplaces begin and so obviously we build to that.”

- more -

http://thinkprogress.org/health/2013/10/21/2812541/obama-administration-obamacare-meet-enrollment-targets-despite-website-glitches/

Also, there is clearly pressure on states that didn't accept the Medicaid expansion to do so.

Ohio Finalizes Medicaid Expansion At GOP Gov's Request
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023896497

President Obama's remarks on the Affordable Care Act
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023895497

[NYC_SKP]

1. From my experience, the problems are high traffic related more than anything.

High traffic equals high interest, and that's good.

It will pass, it will work, I'm happy.

And even with the glitches, it's WAY easier to navigate than the 42-page online application with Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield.

[Keefer]

3. Is part of the reason for high traffic...

returning visitors? I'm not very savvy when it comes to web sites or computers, but if the same person returns to the site time after time to log in, are all those visits counted as a "hit?"

[NYC_SKP]

4. If they collect data, they might identify "unique users" versus actual visits.

And, indeed, repeat visitors would increase traffic.

I think they under built their capacity to handle traffic, not enough servers and too little bandwidth.

[Keefer]

6. Thank you. n/t

.

[Cha]

2. Great.. thanks ProSense!

[Scurrilous]

5. K & R

[warrior1]

7. are people having more problems in the states

that didn't expand medicare? Because California and other democratic states are zooming along from what I've heard.

[ProSense]

8. NJ expanded Medicaid, but is on the federal exchange.

Most state sites are running better than the federal site.

[ProSense]

9. 150,000 Sign Ups Under New York Obamacare Exchange

150,000 Sign Ups Under New York Obamacare Exchange

Three weeks since the Affordable Care Act's Oct. 1 rollout, at least 150,000 people have successfully signed up for a health insurance plan using New York state's website, according to the Albany Times Union.

"In less than three weeks since the launch of NY State of Health, already nearly 150,000 NewYorkers have signed up for quality, low-cost health insurance," said Donna Frescatore, executive director of the state online marketplace, in an emailed statement. "Thousands of New Yorkers have not only registered, but actually enrolled in and purchased insurance coverage through the NY State of Health website, according to the state Health Department. Officials will not say how many, and have promised that number soon.”

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/150-000-sign-ups-under-new-york-obamacare-exchange