PPACA Marketplaces Off to Rough Start, Facing Technical Issues

The health insurance exchanges ran into some technical problems during their first day of open enrollment yesterday because of heavier-than-expected Web traffic.

HealthCare.gov — the federal site devoted to the marketplaces — was operating slowly yesterday because of high traffic, President Obama said at a press briefing. He said more than 1 million people visited the site before 7 a.m. EDT.

The president compared the issues to a glitch Apple found and fixed during a recent rollout of a new mobile operating system. He told reporters every new product rollout will encounter some technical problems.

Earlier this week, several state exchanges reported other technical glitches. Exchanges in Oregon, Nevada and Maryland will open on time, but with some missing certain website features, including Spanish-language alternatives and tax credit calculations. In Colorado, customers will have to call a customer service center to finalize the enrollment process begun online, according to CNN. And a high error rate during testing in the Washington, D.C., exchange means Medicaid eligibility and subsidy calculations will not be ready when the exchange opens.

The exchanges are open for enrollment despite the government shutdown, which has forced many agencies overseen by HHS to operate at a reduced capacity. CMS is largely unaffected, and all insurance marketplace activities are proceeding as planned.

More Articles on Health Insurance Exchanges:
PPACA Exchanges Open for Enrollment Despite Shutdown
Will a Government Shutdown Help ObamaCare?
Technical Glitches in Several States' PPACA Exchanges