The teams testing the site updates reported stumbling across many bugs, some of which have been fixed and others of which are still being addressed, The New York Times reported. HealthCare.gov’s new tools enable consumers to comb through area-specific health plans to find specific providers and allow them to search plans by the drugs they cover.
“We have extended the testing schedule to provide insurers with additional time to validate their data,” an HHS official told NYT in an emailed statement. “We will launch window shopping closer to the launch of open enrollment.”
Certain insurers had anticipated the “window shopping” feature — which enables users to see benefits, prices and other health plan details — would go live this week, ahead of the open enrollment launch, so those seeking coverage could research options ahead of time. Officials said one factor causing the delay and the technical difficulties is the immense amount of data that must be collected from tens of thousands of physicians, insurers and providers nationwide.
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