The Obamacare implosion is worse than you think

[Little-Acorn]

The leftist fanatics have been scrabbling to divert attention from the disaster that is the rollout of Obamacare's "exchanges". They must be thanking their lucky stars that the government shutdown (well, 17% of the govt) came along when it did. They can argue and bicker about that, instead of about a SERIOUS issue such as the complete flop of Obamacare.

If there had been a few bugs here and there (a normal occurrance with brand-new, large systems), they would have been ironed out quickly, in a day or two max.

But the more people try to use the exchange websites, the more problems come up, the more trouble they have, and the more people fail to sign up.

How long will it be before we are told that this new car has square wheels, a plastic frame, wooden seats, and an engine that is permanently locked up?

And if the government can't even run a webiste (which is far simpler than Obamacare itself), are they really the ones we want to trust with the nation's entire health care system?

---------------------------------------------------

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/marc-thiessen-the-obamacare-implosion-is-worse-than-you-think/2013/10/14/7efa4e74-34d7-11e3-be86-6aeaa439845b_story.html

The Obamacare implosion is worse than you think

By Marc A. Thiessen
Published: October 14

Obamacare is imploding. But thanks to the government shutdown, everyone is talking about the implosion of the GOP instead.

The shutdown drama has distracted from the fact that Obamacare’s debut is worse than many realize — and it threatens the fundamental viability of the law itself. The administration claims the Obamacare online exchanges crashed because the Web site got more than 8 million hits in the first week. Please. You know how many people visit Amazon.com every week? More than 70 million. The difference is: 1.) Amazon seldom crashes, and 2.) on Amazon, people actually buy something.

It appears virtually no one is buying Obamacare. While administration officials brag about how many visitors the site is getting, they refuse to divulge how many people actually signed up. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius was asked that directly by Jon Stewart on “The Daily Show.” “Fully enrolled?” Sebelius stuttered. “I can’t tell you. Because I don’t know.” That is a frightening admission of incompetence. If the Obama administration can’t even track how many people signed up, how on earth is it going to verify whether those people are eligible for subsidies? How will it protect against fraud?

The Post reported this past weekend that the failure of the Web site is worse than previously known: “Even when consumers have been able to sign up, insurers sometimes can’t tell who their new customers are because of a separate set of computer defects.” It turns out that in some 99 percent of applications, the Obamacare site did not provide insurers with enough verifiable information to enroll people in their plans.

Computer experts say the problems with the site are not because of heavy traffic but are the result of structural flaws in system architecture. It is going to take months to rebuild it. That raises a question: If the federal government can’t manage a simple Web site, how on earth is it going to manage the health care of millions of Americans?

[Arbo]

I know Carny said they would only 'put out' numbers of enrollees on a monthly basis... so it will be interesting in a few weeks to see what the numbers are, and how the white house reacts. What excuses they make, etc.

One thing that didn't hit me at first about this whole thing is why the F did our government contract to a CANADIAN company when there are plenty of good IT firms in the USA that could have done this? Did they forget we need jobs HERE?

[Tyr-Ziu Saxnot]

The leftist fanatics have been scrabbling to divert attention from the disaster that is the rollout of Obamacare's "exchanges". They must be thanking their lucky stars that the government shutdown (well, 17% of the govt) came along when it did. They can argue and bicker about that, instead of about a SERIOUS issue such as the complete flop of Obamacare.

If there had been a few bugs here and there (a normal occurrance with brand-new, large systems), they would have been ironed out quickly, in a day or two max.

But the more people try to use the exchange websites, the more problems come up, the more trouble they have, and the more people fail to sign up.

How long will it be before we are told that this new car has square wheels, a plastic frame, wooden seats, and an engine that is permanently locked up?

And if the government can't even run a webiste (which is far simpler than Obamacare itself), are they really the ones we want to trust with the nation's entire health care system?

---------------------------------------------------

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/marc-thiessen-the-obamacare-implosion-is-worse-than-you-think/2013/10/14/7efa4e74-34d7-11e3-be86-6aeaa439845b_story.html

The Obamacare implosion is worse than you think

By Marc A. Thiessen
Published: October 14

Obamacare is imploding. But thanks to the government shutdown, everyone is talking about the implosion of the GOP instead.

The shutdown drama has distracted from the fact that Obamacare’s debut is worse than many realize — and it threatens the fundamental viability of the law itself. The administration claims the Obamacare online exchanges crashed because the Web site got more than 8 million hits in the first week. Please. You know how many people visit Amazon.com every week? More than 70 million. The difference is: 1.) Amazon seldom crashes, and 2.) on Amazon, people actually buy something.

It appears virtually no one is buying Obamacare. While administration officials brag about how many visitors the site is getting, they refuse to divulge how many people actually signed up. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius was asked that directly by Jon Stewart on “The Daily Show.” “Fully enrolled?” Sebelius stuttered. “I can’t tell you. Because I don’t know.” That is a frightening admission of incompetence. If the Obama administration can’t even track how many people signed up, how on earth is it going to verify whether those people are eligible for subsidies? How will it protect against fraud?

The Post reported this past weekend that the failure of the Web site is worse than previously known: “Even when consumers have been able to sign up, insurers sometimes can’t tell who their new customers are because of a separate set of computer defects.” It turns out that in some 99 percent of applications, the Obamacare site did not provide insurers with enough verifiable information to enroll people in their plans.

Computer experts say the problems with the site are not because of heavy traffic but are the result of structural flaws in system architecture. It is going to take months to rebuild it. That raises a question: If the federal government can’t manage a simple Web site, how on earth is it going to manage the health care of millions of Americans?

Computer experts say the problems with the site are not because of heavy traffic but are the result of structural flaws in system architecture. It is going to take months to rebuild it. That raises a question: If the federal government can’t manage a simple Web site, how on earth is it going to manage the health care of millions of Americans? Its not going to manage it well at all. THE EMPHASIS WAS ALL ABOUT CONTROL AND FORCING CITIZENS TO DEPEND ON A BIG AND ALL POWERFUL GOVERNMENT RATHER THAN DELIVERING A GOOD AND HELPFUL SERVICE.. THE ENTIRE THING FROM START TO FINISH IS A BIG FUSTER CLUCK.--Tyr

[Kathianne]

Related, 'If the GOP only had a brain.'

http://washingtonexaminer.com/gop-seizes-advantage-on-obamacare-white-house-struggles-to-defend-an-alternative-history-of-the-past-two-months/article/2537193


GOP seizes advantage on Obamacare, White House struggles to defend: An alternative history of the past two months By BYRON YORK (http://washingtonexaminer.com/AUTHOR/BYRON-YORK) | OCTOBER 13, 2013 AT 8:44 PM


What if, instead of throwing its political energy into a failing effort to defund Obamacare, the Republican Party had spent the month of August, and then September, and now October, pounding the Obama administration on the arrival of the president's national health care scheme? What if the days before October 1 had been filled with Republican predictions of calamity, and the days after filled with Republican exploitation of that calamity? If the GOP had taken that path, the party might be in a very different place than it is today. The White House, too.


Everyone knew the first of October would bring the opening of the Obamacare exchanges, and there was good reason to think the opening would be troubled. Why did Democratic Sen. Max Baucus, one of the architects of the law, express concern in April that the Obama administration was failing to prepare the public for what he feared might be a "train wreck"? Why did Gary Cohen, a key player in the Obamacare bureaucracy, say a month earlier that he worried the Obamacare exchanges would be "a Third World experience" for consumers? Why did President Obama delay the employer mandate? Why did the administration give up in advance on the task of verifying whether Obamacare subsidy recipients actually qualify for their subsidies, opening the door to the possibility of widespread fraud? And most importantly, why did the administration in July back away from President Obama's famous claim that anyone satisfied with his or her health plan could keep it after the arrival of Obamacare, no matter what?


In other words, there was an enormous amount of bad news about Obamacare. And it was coming October 1. Of course, Republicans did not know the specific problems that would plague the website once the administration attempted to bring Obamacare online, but the GOP knew that, in general, what was coming would be bad. So what if Republicans had put together a major campaign of ads, events, townhalls, speeches, hearings, web documentaries, publications, tweets, handouts, and more, involving Republican officials from the local level to influential governors to top leaders in Congress, to showcase the problems of Obamacare as October 1 approached?


What if that had been the theme of the August recess? And in September, there began to appear stories of Americans who buy their coverage on the individual market receiving letters from insurers telling them they would no longer have coverage, or that the price of their coverage would go up substantially. More stories for the Obamacare campaign: here was the living, breathing proof that Obama's if-you-like-your-coverage-you-can-keep-it pledge was false. Of course, Obama said that many times, often on video, so Republicans could have made plenty of ads, for the Internet and perhaps some for broadcast too, juxtaposing Obama's promise with yet another family who had lost coverage.

...


All that has done enormous damage to the GOP's Image. A recent Wall Street Journal poll found that just 24 percent of those surveyed have positive feelings toward the Republican Party, while 53 percent have negative feelings. The positive number is down more than ten points from a year ago, while the negative number is up ten points. As far as the shutdown itself is concerned, 53 percent of those surveyed blame Republicans more than anyone else, while 31 percent blame Obama. Seventy percent said Republicans "are putting their own political agenda ahead of what is good for the country."


Instead of pounding Obama on the mandates, defects, false promises, and expense of Obamacare, Republicans ended up pounding themselves.


Of course the GOP will have more chances to fight Obamacare in the future. Long after a continuing resolution has been passed and the debt limit raised, Obamacare will still be a major, and for many unwelcome, factor in American life. But what an opportunity missed, at such a crucial time.

[aboutime]

We are all seeing how the OBAMACARE Lie is in a mode of Self-destruction.


Like anyone who constantly tells One lie, then another to hide the first, and so on, and so on.

OBAMACARE is quickly becoming the OBVIOUS OBAMA LIE, even the Democrats in Congress have admitted...THEY AGREED WITH, despite NOT READING IT.

Lies are lies. And we are seeing more Lies with every passing day that Obama is in office.

THE MASTER, LIAR-IN-CHIEF IS A PROFESSIONAL LIAR WHO HAS MANAGED TO FOOL AT LEAST 50 Plus MILLION PEOPLE, WHO VOTED FOR HIM.
And, if anyone denies that. It further proves how LITERALLY STUPID THOSE AMERICANS ARE.

[Kathianne]

We are all seeing how the OBAMACARE Lie is in a mode of Self-destruction.


Like anyone who constantly tells One lie, then another to hide the first, and so on, and so on.

OBAMACARE is quickly becoming the OBVIOUS OBAMA LIE, even the Democrats in Congress have admitted...THEY AGREED WITH, despite NOT READING IT.

Lies are lies. And we are seeing more Lies with every passing day that Obama is in office.

THE MASTER, LIAR-IN-CHIEF IS A PROFESSIONAL LIAR WHO HAS MANAGED TO FOOL AT LEAST 50 Plus MILLION PEOPLE, WHO VOTED FOR HIM.
And, if anyone denies that. It further proves how LITERALLY STUPID THOSE AMERICANS ARE.

The GOP could have used this time much better for the long run, however you do have a point:

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-250_162-57607584/former-wh-official-republicans-slam-hhs-for-flawed-obamacare-rollout/


By Stephanie Condon /
CBS News/ October 15, 2013, 1:12 PM
Former WH official, Republicans slam HHS for flawed Obamacare rollout <!-- has video: --> <!-- has Images: --> <!-- has feature: --> <!-- is show: false --> <!-- module channel: 250 --> In the wake of the botched rollout of the online Obamacare marketplace, some Republicans are saying it's time for Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to go. At least one former Obama administration official agrees that someone, if not Sebelius, should get fired for the problems with HealthCare.gov.


The website's launch was "excruciatingly embarrassing for the White House and for the Department of Health and Human Services," former White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said on MSNBC (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=81dsgx1Yz6k) on Monday. "I hope they're working day and night to get this done, and when they get it fixed, I hope they fire some people that were in charge of making sure this thing was supposed to work."


Health and Human Services spent almost $394 million over three years in contracts, according to one government report, to build the online marketplace (referred to as an exchange) on which consumers in 36 states can shop for private insurance. Yet from day one the site was plagued with problems that the administration initially referred to as technical glitches.

...

[DragonStryk72]

The leftist fanatics have been scrabbling to divert attention from the disaster that is the rollout of Obamacare's "exchanges". They must be thanking their lucky stars that the government shutdown (well, 17% of the govt) came along when it did. They can argue and bicker about that, instead of about a SERIOUS issue such as the complete flop of Obamacare.

If there had been a few bugs here and there (a normal occurrance with brand-new, large systems), they would have been ironed out quickly, in a day or two max.

But the more people try to use the exchange websites, the more problems come up, the more trouble they have, and the more people fail to sign up.

How long will it be before we are told that this new car has square wheels, a plastic frame, wooden seats, and an engine that is permanently locked up?

And if the government can't even run a webiste (which is far simpler than Obamacare itself), are they really the ones we want to trust with the nation's entire health care system?

---------------------------------------------------

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/marc-thiessen-the-obamacare-implosion-is-worse-than-you-think/2013/10/14/7efa4e74-34d7-11e3-be86-6aeaa439845b_story.html

The Obamacare implosion is worse than you think

By Marc A. Thiessen
Published: October 14

Obamacare is imploding. But thanks to the government shutdown, everyone is talking about the implosion of the GOP instead.

The shutdown drama has distracted from the fact that Obamacare’s debut is worse than many realize — and it threatens the fundamental viability of the law itself. The administration claims the Obamacare online exchanges crashed because the Web site got more than 8 million hits in the first week. Please. You know how many people visit Amazon.com every week? More than 70 million. The difference is: 1.) Amazon seldom crashes, and 2.) on Amazon, people actually buy something.

It appears virtually no one is buying Obamacare. While administration officials brag about how many visitors the site is getting, they refuse to divulge how many people actually signed up. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius was asked that directly by Jon Stewart on “The Daily Show.” “Fully enrolled?” Sebelius stuttered. “I can’t tell you. Because I don’t know.” That is a frightening admission of incompetence. If the Obama administration can’t even track how many people signed up, how on earth is it going to verify whether those people are eligible for subsidies? How will it protect against fraud?

The Post reported this past weekend that the failure of the Web site is worse than previously known: “Even when consumers have been able to sign up, insurers sometimes can’t tell who their new customers are because of a separate set of computer defects.” It turns out that in some 99 percent of applications, the Obamacare site did not provide insurers with enough verifiable information to enroll people in their plans.

Computer experts say the problems with the site are not because of heavy traffic but are the result of structural flaws in system architecture. It is going to take months to rebuild it. That raises a question: If the federal government can’t manage a simple Web site, how on earth is it going to manage the health care of millions of Americans?

OMG, I just watched the clip, and the woman let something slip that is insane. Apparently Obamacare only affects those business that have at least 50 full-time employees. Think on that for a minute: All a company with 1000 workers needs to do is have only 50 full-timers, and they're in the clear. Seriously 3:18, check it out

[Kathianne]

OMG, I just watched the clip, and the woman let something slip that is insane. Apparently Obamacare only affects those business that have at least 50 full-time employees. Think on that for a minute: All a company with 1000 workers needs to do is have only 50 full-timers, and they're in the clear. Seriously 3:18, check it out

Actually that is one 'requirement' that has been cited for over a year, the incentive to let go or reduce hours from 40 to 29. Tat has come to pass in big ways.

[aboutime]

Change the name of OBAMACARE for the American people to "BOHICA".

Arrest Obama for massive counts...over 300 Million....of RAPE. As in the RAPE OF AMERICA!

[tailfins]

If anyone cares about US healthcare being a ripoff, they will make a law prohibiting "special" list prices for cash patients. Doctors try to charge double or triple to cash customers what they get paid from an insured patient.

[Arbo]

If anyone cares about US healthcare being a ripoff, they will make a law prohibiting "special" list prices for cash patients. Doctors try to charge double or triple to cash customers what they get paid from an insured patient.

Where on earth do you get such information? I work in the healthcare field, this is not the reality anywhere I have seen. Pay cash always means pay less.

[tailfins]

Where on earth do you get such information? I work in the healthcare field, this is not the reality anywhere I have seen. Pay cash always means pay less.

Try calling around to several doctors. The going cash price for an office visit is $175. Insured patients yield $60-80 to the doctor. Figure on making 30+ phone calls before getting a doctor visit for under $100.

[Arbo]

Try calling around to several doctors. The going cash price for an office visit is $175. Insured patients yield $60-80 to the doctor. Figure on making 30+ phone calls before getting a doctor visit for under $100.

Again I ask where on earth you get such information... Based on my experience in the field, this is not the case, not even close.

[tailfins]

Again I ask where on earth you get such information... Based on my experience in the field, this is not the case, not even close.

It comes from trying to find a doctor in Rhode Island. So far the "best" option is a "community clinic" where it's sliding scale, but still "only" $80-90 if you choose not to disclose your income. You can call them yourself if you care to:

http://www.thundermisthealth.org/Locations/WoonsocketMedical/tabid/192/Default.aspx

[revelarts]

It comes from trying to find a doctor in Rhode Island. So far the "best" option is a "community clinic" where it's sliding scale, but still "only" $80-90 if you choose not to disclose your income. You can call them yourself if you care to:

http://www.thundermisthealth.org/Locations/WoonsocketMedical/tabid/192/Default.aspx

Are you sure the ins companies are only paying 60-80? frankly with the co-pay ins thing under HMO's unless you look at the drs. billing how would you know what they are charging the ins company?
gov'ts not a vehicle to help health care.
But republican's were never really serious about doing anything decent.
the old Chinese model of paying doctors if you stay well is a better capitalist model IMO.
the way it is now the health care industry is only paid for sick people. so what's the $ incentive? Find more sick people. or get/force well people to pay for nothing or BS illnesses and meds.
just a thought

<iframe src="//www.youtube.com/embed/RmHTte8jRLk?feature=player_detailpage" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" width="640"></iframe>

[Arbo]

It comes from trying to find a doctor in Rhode Island. So far the "best" option is a "community clinic" where it's sliding scale, but still "only" $80-90 if you choose not to disclose your income. You can call them yourself if you care to:

http://www.thundermisthealth.org/Locations/WoonsocketMedical/tabid/192/Default.aspx

Sounds like RI has some issues, or you are not seeing the whole picture of what is charge out to insurance companies and what they pay.

[Trigg]

It comes from trying to find a doctor in Rhode Island. So far the "best" option is a "community clinic" where it's sliding scale, but still "only" $80-90 if you choose not to disclose your income. You can call them yourself if you care to:

http://www.thundermisthealth.org/Locations/WoonsocketMedical/tabid/192/Default.aspx


I am with Arbo on this one. I've worked in healthcare for 20yrs and people paying cash are usually given a large discount. The hospitals and doctors offices save money by not having to go through the insurance companies with all of their paperwork.