The computer system the Obama Administration has created, for signing people up for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act, is so badly designed it is unbelievable.
For openers, it is difficult even to get onto the system. Usually, I am greeted by a message saying something like, “We’ve got a lot of visitiors right now. Please stay on this page so you don’t lose your place in line.” This message remains on the screen indefinitely. You can sit and wait as long as you want, but after 10 minutes or so, I figured I had better things to do. Then several days and several attempts later, when I finally did get admitted, the first step was to set up an account. After answering about 10 or 12 easy questions, I clicked Create Account, only to be told “the system is not available.” I then clicked the “Try again” button, which forced me to go back and answer all the same 10 or 12 questions again. Why couldn’t the system just remember that? And queue my request, and maybe send me an email when the request went through? Instead, I am forced to go through this dance of frustration another 6 or 8 times.
Finally, early on Saturday morning I succeeded in creating an account, but then the system told me that the user name I chose was already taken. So I tried again, with a longer version of the user name, so as to reduce the chances somebody else already has it. Finally, the system said, OK, your account is now created. Then it told me the next step is to log in! Excuse me, but if I just created an account, and supplied the password and user name myself, why do I have to log in?
And guess what happened when I tried to log in? It told me the user name and password I supplied was invalid. After three attempts, it kicked me off the system. So I went back in, and clicked on “Forgot Password”, even though I didn’t forget a bit. So the system sends me an email, showing my user name, and guess what? It’s the one I originally gave it! The one they told me was already taken! Apparently, all those times it was telling me “the system is unavailable,” it had actually created the account, but just didn’t bother telling me so. Ridiculous.
So, now it tells me the next step is to verify my identity. It asks for my name, address, birth date, and social security number, all of which I supply. Yet somehow this is not enough! Why exactly does it need any more information, to verify my identity? Wouldn’t this be enough, for any identity thief? So it steps me through a few multiple-choice questions. One is to choose a former employer. That’s fine. One of the choices listed is a former employer – from about 10 years ago. Another question is to choose a former phone number. All the phone numbers listed are from an area code where I have never lived, so I choose “None of the above.” Finally it asks me to choose the last 4 digits of my current cell phone number. I find that rather invasive. My cell phone number is private information. They don’t need to know it. Happily, none of the choices listed is correct, so again I choose, “None of the above.” The system’s response? It tells me they weren’t able to verify my identity! Apparently this is because they don’t have my former phone numbers or my current cell! Tells me to call Experian and provides me a very lengthy case number. Experian is closed for business until Monday.
All of these are completely avoidable glitsches that only require a normal amount of competence, experience and testing on the part of the programmers. Considering how slick and smart the Obama Campaign’s computer systems were, when he was running for office, you would think the Obama Administration’s computer system for signing people up for health care would be a model of efficiency. Especially when you consider that this new system is the signature domestic accomplishment of this President, and is right at the center of the shutdown farce. Instead, the computer system is a study in utter incompetence.
According to the Kaiser Family Foundation calculator, I can expect my health insurance premiums to go DOWN 28% when I finally do get signed up for “Obamacare.” If that’s the case, it will be worth the trouble, but there is really no excuse for making it this hard.
