Obamacare (the "Affordable Care Act") was passed in the early spring of 2010. A gleeful Nancy Pelosi, Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Harry Reid and a cast of thousands more Democrats wildly celebrated the beginning of a "new era in health care for the United States."
Although you won’t hear much about the disastrous operational beginning to actual enrollment that started Tuesday at midnight, the Democrats worst nightmare is beginning to play out.
The Democrats are blaming the bumbling start on technology. Apparently over three years to perfect the enrollment system was not enough in the internet age. The Obama administration is taking down its health overhaul website for repairs this weekend.
How can this happen especially when the Republicans and over half the country are angry as hell and ready to march on Washington with pitchforks and torches?
Nevertheless, the “Affordable” Care Act is off to a predictable start by many of its critics with the apologetic media trying anything they can to put a happy face on a national tragedy.
Enrollment functions of the healthcare.gov site will be unavailable during off-peak hours this weekend, the Health and Human Services Department said Friday. The website will remain open for general information.
Swell. There goes the initial Hollywood hype to bound and gag the skeptics.
Yes, that mean old technology overwhelmed the launch of new health insurance markets last Tuesday utterly embarrassing the administration just when the health care law was supposed to be introduced to average consumers.
Maybe the president should call Apple who he singled out as a comparison with their iphone launch “glitches” as that of Obamacare. Last time I looked, millions of eager consumers were buying that product.
The administrations press release to calm the public went like this: "Americans are excited to look at their options for health coverage, with record demand in the first days of the marketplaces." The statement was headlined: "Health Insurance Marketplace Open for Business - Week One Success."
Well gosh Gladys, can you imagine if we were in charge of that project for over three years and it was a bust? Our asses would be thrown out the door so fast by our angry bosses ...
Oh forget that scenario. That’s those private sector people! They are the” evil” Obama speaks of regularly.
Anyway, for the majority of Americans that have no idea of what constitutes Obamacare and a mainstream media that pretends to, the state exchanges to buy health care insurance were designed to be the gateway to health insurance for people who don't have access to coverage on the job.
Middle-class consumers (supposedly in a perfect government-led world) can purchase subsidized taxpayer-funded private plans, while the poor and near-poor will be steered to Medicaid in states agreeing to expand the program.
Those are few and far between. Remember the analogy of the pitchforks and torches?
The federal site, which serves 36 states, because those very states refused to handle what they knew would be a disaster, found people unable (a mild use of words) to access the site preventing them from completing their applications.
Could Obamacare (the “Affordable” Care Act”) be the DMV and/or the Post Office’s evil twin?
Many trying to reach a bureaucrat by phone were hung up on, their computer screens said “please wait,” (like that ever works with the cable company), unable to create security questions to protect their accounts or drop-down menus providing the questions they might ask.
Some who did make it through were timed out because they took too long comparing plans. The administration is not releasing numbers.
Really?
The health insurance giants Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association said in a statement "We are pleased that enrollment for health care coverage through the new marketplaces is picking up. We expect enrollment to continue to increase."
Of course, unlike the smaller companies, they have made money off of this government disaster.
That statement was followed by an HSS spokesmouth that said, “There will be significant improvements in the online consumer experience.” The administration had previously announced it is adding equipment to handle the high volume of users.
Now it looks like software fixes are also needed.
The government had over three years to perfect this operation. What can Americans expect from a health care industry interfered with by a faceless government that has never done anything of major proportions right without years and trillions of dollars?
Consumers without health insurance have until December 15th to sign up for the law which starts January 1st.
Good luck.
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