

Another View: Incompetence hobbles a good idea

12:34 PM, Oct. 11, 2013  |  Comments
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Over the first four days the new online health insurance exchanges were open last week, more than 8 million people visited them, according to the Obama administration. At the very least, this casts doubt on the Republican claim that Americans hate "Obamacare" and want it repealed. It seems millions of people desperately want the coverage the health-care law will allow them to get, regardless of their medical histories.


Websites crashed, refused to load, or offered bizarre and incomprehensible choices. Even though the system was shut down for repairs over the weekend, this week's early reports continued to suggest an epic screw-up.

Why have things gone so wrong?

President Barack Obama's chief technology adviser, Todd Park, blames the unexpectedly large numbers of people who flocked to and state websites.

"Take away the volume and it works," he told USA Today.

That's like saying that except for the torrential rain, it's a really nice day. Was Park not listening to the administration's daily weather report predicting the popularity of Obama's Affordable Care Act?


That's the difference between competence and incompetence.



The non-federal exchanges appear to vary widely in performance. Maryland's highly touted site continued to generate a bewildering array of error messages on Monday, while a successful visit to the D.C. marketplace showed a profusion of plans at a wide range of prices-exactly what consumers have been led to expect.

Considering that officials had more than three years to prepare, it's hard even to imagine a credible excuse. And if the Medicare Part D experience is any guide, new layers of problems await as people finally get through and engage the complexities of buying insurance.

If there's good news, it's that technology can be fixed. Consumers have until mid-December to sign up for insurance that takes effect Jan. 1.

As the incompetence drones on, however, it hands ammunition to those who want to kill the law regardless of the broad interest in it. Delay-a tactic Republicans seek as a means of repealing Obamacare-is no answer.

Even so, the administration had better get its act together before frustration drives people away.

--USA Today


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