Oregon’s Health Insurance Exchange Site Only Works With Internet Explorer

[muriel_volestrangler]

The Oregon healthcare exchange website, CoverOregon.org, was “built and tested for use with Internet Explorer,” and may “not work properly” if used on other browsers, according to the site.

Users with a different browser will get this notification when attempting to sign up for health insurance.



http://www.buzzfeed.com/hunterschwarz/oregons-health-insurance-exchange-site-only-works-with-inter

It says:

Important: The submit button does not work when used with the Macintosh Safari or Google Chrome browsers. Please do not use Macintosh Safari or Google Chrome browsers with this application. We are not able to support the use of this form on Ipads or mobile devices at this time.
...
At this time, it isn't possible to save this form and come back to it later. Once you start filling out this application online, you will have 3 hours to complete it. After 3 hours, your information will be lost, and you will need to start over.

On June 13, 2003, Microsoft announced that it was ceasing further development of Internet Explorer for Mac and the final update was released on July 11, 2003. The browser was not included in the default installation of Mac OS X v10.4 "Tiger" which was released on April 29, 2005. Microsoft discontinued support for the product on December 31, 2005 and removed the application from their Macintosh downloads site on January 31, 2006. Microsoft recommends "that users migrate to more recent web browsing technologies such as Apple's Safari."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_Explorer_for_Mac

[jsr]

1. Because everyone uses Internet Explorer

LOL.

[MrScorpio]

2. Funny enough, I'm able to access the site using Safari on my iPod

This post was sent from MrScorpio's iPod.

[former9thward]

8. Did you apply?

Did you try to save or transmit any information? That was the whole point about the OP. Not "accessing" it.

[MrScorpio]

9. I'm in Michigan, so I didn't apply

I just checked to see if I access it.

[DeschutesRiver]

17. You can access for everything except to do the application - we ended up driving to town with our

old windows computer, finding a place with wifi and filling out the app with IE. We live so far out that we don't have wifi at home, just dialup and I didn't want to spent 3-4 days to fill it out that way. Lol.

I tried the safari first, couldn't submit and called Cover Oregon, who were extremely nice as always but said yep, you can't submit it with Safari. So out came old Mr. Windows and his rusty sidekick IE....

[cilla4progress]

3. gawd I hate IE!

But I've had that experience with other sites - normally ones that require downloading or accessing documents, forms.

[FarCenter]

4. It's a pdf of the paper application that you fill out online and then submit electronically

Chrome brings up a pdf handler and shows the form ok.

Explorer took a long time but did show the form ok.

Wonder which version of Explorer it is compatible with? There were big changes going from 6 to 7.

I wonder which PDF applications it is compatible with? Most people using explorer would also use Adobe Reader. But not all.

The online application feature is not working yet.

[bhikkhu]

14. A "paper application" is the critical part

if it won't submit online, you just print it and put it in the mail. That's what I did.

[Buddha_of_Wisdom]

5. Problem solved.

https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/ie-tab/hehijbfgiekmjfkfjpbkbammjbdenadd?hl=en-US

[Myrina]

7. I work for a gynormous student loan co

We also own some smaller debt collectors & experience problems quite often with people who can't properly navigate with Firefox or Chrome ... Its nothing done on purpose, it's on the geek and testing ends.

Shit happens. Should it be planned for? Probably, but many IT shops get so focused on small details that they don't see things from an end-user's POV.

[B2G]

10. But this is the part causing so much angst:

"At this time, it isn't possible to save this form and come back to it later. Once you start filling out this application online, you will have 3 hours to complete it. After 3 hours, your information will be lost, and you will need to start over."

[quinnox]

11. I wonder who the idiot was that thought this was a bright idea

Internet exploder? Seriously, are they living in the 1990s??

[Bluenorthwest]

12. Actually our site is not working well for anyone and Oregonians are urged to sign up by

phone or with an agent asap and not wait for the website fix. Lots of information at the link.
"With federal deadlines looming to get health coverage, Oregonians need to stop waiting for the state's new insurance exchange website to be fixed and submit their applications now, Gov. John Kitzhaber said Friday.
http://www.oregonlive.com/health/index.ssf/2013/11/cover_oregon_kitzhaber_says_fo.html

[FarCenter]

15. Cover Oregon to hire workers to process health insurance applications

PORTLAND — For Oregonians seeking to sign up for health insurance plans taking effect Jan. 1, Gov. John Kitzhaber said Friday that it’s back to paper applications.

Kitzhaber has ordered 100 workers, 60 temporary ones in addition to others from the Cover Oregon state-run health insurance exchange, to start processing applications. Although people still can obtain information and download forms from it, the Cover Oregon website has yet to enroll a single person online a month after its go-live date.

“If I needed health insurance, my biggest concern would be about getting health insurance, not whether I did it online,” Kitzhaber, flanked by other state officials, told reporters.

Kitzhaber said the goal is to enroll some of the 200,000 uninsured Oregonians who are unlikely to qualify for public programs such as the state-supported Oregon Health Plan.

“This is about more than a website,” he said.

“We are not going to let problems with the website interfere with our objective of making sure that every Oregonian who wants to enroll in a qualified plan by Jan. 1 is enrolled.”

http://www.statesmanjournal.com/article/20131102/NEWS/311010067/Cover-Oregon-hire-workers-process-health-insurance-applications

Website? Online economy? --- Nevermind.....

Kitzhaber said each worker can process six applications daily.

Officials shed no new light Friday on the website’s technical problems. The state has withheld some payments from the vendor, Oracle, until they are resolved. Kitzhaber gave no date for a fix.

But Kitzhaber said what counts in the end are how many are enrolled, not how they enroll.

“I am willing to be accountable for that,” he said.

Oregon obtained $300 million in federal funds to help build the electronic marketplace.

[bhikkhu]

13. That was a very minor inconvenience

When I filled out the application first, it took about 10 minutes and then wouldn't "submit". I was using Firefox, so I went to a windows computer and refilled it out using Explorer. It still wouldn't submit. So I printed out the application (very easy, since its a PDF form anyway). Then I mailed it in, using the instructions on the application.

All in all, it was about 30 minutes of work, which was less than I expected. It could be a little easier, but in any case it was less trouble than renewing a driver's license or anything like that - no big deal really.

[kestrel91316]

16. CoveredCA is half-broken with Chrome and only 10% broken with IE.