Ezra Klein calls the launch of Obamacare a failure. It’s difficult to dispute that assessment, at least in regards to the federal insurance exchange. The Times ran a great article detailing the various missteps behind the failed launch. It’s a discouraging but familiar story involving miscommunication, lack of resources and accountability, and political hedging. Things are going somewhat better in the states operating their own exchanges where they can respond more nimbly to technical issues.
The feds need to fix these problems and hold the appropriate people accountable. But it’s worth pointing out that the fierce opposition to the ACA likely contributed to its rocky implementation. The administration didn’t plan on creating an exchange for 36 states, but the political circumstances gave them no choice. It doesn’t excuse the massive implementation failures, but it does provide context.
There’s still time to fix these issues. The administration can’t afford to dither, though. People already have a shaky trust in the government and screw-ups like this only weaken that trust further.
not sure if you remember me, a fellow vent user and activist… I read all your posts, and agree the criticism of the ACA federal exchange web site is ridiculous for the most part, but there are deeper issues. I wrote about these tonight:
2 Deeper Issues Raised by House Committee Hearing on Healthcare dot gov http://wp.me/pvv6K-Bs