Drum roll please – And with
all the drama and thrill of a Fourth of July firework dud, the ObamaCare
insurance exchanges officially opened on October 1.
Despite three and a half
years of preparation, launches of the much-awaited “healthcare insurance
marketplaces” were almost universally fraught with problems. Multiple states reported near-immediate crashes
of their online sites. Visitors to others witnessed a stunning array of error
messages, prolonged delays and an inability to complete the forms necessary to
register, let alone choose a healthcare plan.
Concerns about privacy,
non-encrypted personal data, and poorly trained and minimally screened system
“navigators” added to rampant consumer frustration.
All the hype leading up to
the October 1st launch -- followed by a floundering debut -- has
resulted in a predictable and rapid loss of interest from the public. Like attendees at a fireworks grand finale that
fails to ignite, consumers quickly become distracted. They pack up their blankets and folding
chairs, and head back to the car.
Recall
that the exchanges were designed to function as a sort of “marketplace” for
consumers, and to be the gateway to health insurance for people who don't have
access to coverage through their employers. The exchanges are critical because the
requirement for everyone to have healthcare insurance – the so-called
“individual mandate” – is the sine qua non of the reform legislation.
Many
states opted not to embark on the onerous task of creating the online exchanges
themselves, deferring instead to the federal government to tackle that
challenge.
Unfortunately,
the government’s own site performed no better than those in the various states
that attempted to build and manage their own. One of the most troubling
“glitches” was that many consumers who managed to navigate the initial on-line
registration were ultimately “timed out” because they took too long comparing and
contrasting plans – One of the core advertised functions of the exchanges.
As
a result of vast technology problems, the Obama administration shut down its site
for an overhaul and repairs within days of the launch. A visit to the
healthcare.gov site reveals that the enrollment functions will be “temporarily unavailable”.
Perhaps
they would have been more inclined to delay raising the curtain on the new
exchanges had Obama not granted waivers to all of Congress, their staffers, the
unions and a host of his supporters.
Despite
what many would describe as an abject failure, the Obama administration
released a statement describing the October 1st debut in remarkably
favorable terms.
In
testament to the administration’s brazenness in spinning a yarn, the release
was titled, "Health Insurance Marketplace Open for Business - Week One
Success."
According
to the statement, "Americans are excited to look at their options for
health coverage, with record demand in the first days of the
marketplaces". Consumers have until
December 15th to enroll for coverage that they are required by law to have in
place by January1, 2014.
Apparently,
there’s nothing like the threat of an IRS investigation and a hefty fine to
incite “excitement” in a shopping experience.
Unfortunately, the problem
with the troubled launch of the exchanges extends far beyond the technicalities
of getting people enrolled in healthcare insurance.
Like it or not, John Q. Public
doesn’t have the same “this-is-the-defining-legislation-of-my-tenure”
enthusiasm about the Affordable Care Act as President Obama and his omnipotent
band of do-gooders in Congress. In fact,
well more than 50% of Americans remain largely critical of the bill and would
like to see it delayed, if not fully repealed.
Furthermore, Americans –
particularly the young and healthy whose enrollment is critical to the
viability of ObamaCare – don’t have a tolerance for failed technology. Generations X, Y and Z are fickle; what
sounded like a great idea when they voted quickly loses its appeal when signing
up requires effort and a time commitment. They have short attention spans and
are easily distracted. Getting them to
return to the website after the problems have reportedly been fixed may prove
more difficult than predicted, IRS threats not withstanding.
To complicate matters
further, many consumers are now realizing that the government’s inability to
create and run the on-line exchanges portends an ample threat to its ability to
manage something as complex as healthcare.
It’s unlikely that consumers will trust an airline to fly a plane if
that airline can’t mange to successfully sell a ticket for the flight.
The
Affordable Care Act, lovingly known as ObamaCare, is wrong on just about every
level. Ultimately, the bill reflects the arrogance of Liberals who perceive
themselves as superior, feel compelled to tell Americans what they need, and
then proceed to redefine that “need” as a “right”. The entire premise is misguided at best, and
frankly, with all due respect to Chief Justice Roberts, unconstitutional.
The vast majority of Americans who already have health insurance are
being hit hard with enormous rate increases, skyrocketing deductibles, and huge
new taxes and fees as a result of the bill.
The
roughly 40% of ObamaCare that is supposed to be funded by cuts in Medicare
spending will have a profound impact on doctors and their patients. Access to
care will be limited, quality will decrease, and personal choice and privacy
will become figments of our past.
Eventually,
with enough time and additional taxpayer money, the Obama administration will
cobble the insurance exchanges into some semblance of function. Unfortunately,
their lack luster debut is nothing more than a harbinger of things to come.
In
the words of Congressman Eric Cantor (R-VA), "A dysfunctional website is
the least of that law's problems."
