For the 36 states choosing not to create their own health-care coverage marketplace, an option provided under the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), the federal government had been preparing such a marketplace for individuals and small businesses at HealthCare.gov. However, since the online marketplace launched on October 1, HealthCare.gov has been a sick site. Now that the federal government shutdown and debt ceiling crises are temporarily postponed, expect nonstop coverage of the horror stories, just in time for Halloween.

Quote:

“The first three weeks of sign-ups have been marred by a cascade of computer problems, which the administration says it is working around the clock to correct. The rough rollout has been a black eye for Obama, who invested significant time and political capital in getting the law passed during his first term. The officials said technology experts from inside and outside the government are being brought in to work on the glitches, though they did not say how many workers were being added. Officials did say staffing has been increased at call centers by about 50 percent. As problems persist on the federally run website, the administration is encouraging more people to sign up for insurance over the phone.”

Read full story: “For Obama, a frustrating health care rollout,” (BostonHerald.com, AP)

On the SmallBusiness.com WIKI: Affordable Care Act

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