TPM - "Beneath the Headlines on HealthCare.gov"

[TomCADem]

I read this on WaPo and I glad that TPM calls it out. Included in the 20 percent for whom the website does not "work" are people who refuse to use the website!!! Can you imagine saying that Amazon does not work for people who refuse to use it and insist on bricks and mortar stores? Under that definition, Amazon is probably not "working" for 20 percent of people.

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/beneath-the-headlines-on-healthcare-gov

A few days ago I was speaking to some folks on the inside of the effort to get HealthCare.gov working. Their take on the much-discussed Post piece stating that the site was likely not to be ready by December 1st was that it mistook how any site works. Not that it was wrong per se but was too binary in its take. It's not like a car where you put your key in the ignition and it starts or it doesn't. It's an inherently incremental and iterative process - which at least as a general matter is true with any website, large or small, especially large.

* * *
But fairly far down in the article is this paragraph ...

According to a government official familiar with the new target, the 20 percent who are unlikely to be able to enroll online are expected to fall into three groups: people whose family circumstances are so complicated that the Web site cannot determine their eligibility for subsidies to help pay for health plans; people uncomfortable buying insurance on a computer; and people who encounter technical problems on the Web site.

It would clarify a lot if we knew a breakdown of these three categories within that 20%. But this is some pretty serious fine print and puts the 80/20 in a somewhat different light.

After all, getting the site to "work" for people who are unwilling or uncomfortable buying insurance on their computer seems like a pretty intractable problem and not what most people think of when they talk about the site 'working'.

Note: Since TPM's article noting to the absurdity of WaPo's analysis, WaPo has deleted the paragraph quoted by TPM.

[Mass]

1. I am confused. The article linked in TPM is already 5 days old and I cannot find any info about the

80 % number.

[TomCADem]

2. Here Is Another Story That Contains The Orignal WaPo Article

Here is a link to a newspaper that quotes the original WaPo article:

http://www.concordmonitor.com/news/nation/world/9369088-95/healthcaregov-goal-80-percent-able-to-enroll-for-insurance-through-website

Zients, however, revived the “vast majority” phrase in comments to reporters the next day, adding that “most users will be able to navigate the marketplace from account creation, through the application, all the way to enrollment.”

But Zients also said that “new bugs and other glitches will surface” in December and beyond that and will need to be fixed. Even if the site works well, he said,”that doesn’t mean that the site will be sufficient for 100 percent of users or consumers to use for enrollment.”

The Washington Post reported last week that the federal exchange is unlikely to be working fully by the end of the month. The uncertainty over the site’s future performance stems from the fact that it is currently malfunctioning when more than 20,000 to 30,000 people – about half the intended capacity – try to use it at the same time.

According to a government official familiar with the new target, the 20 percent who are unlikely to be able to enroll online are expected to fall into three groups: people whose family circumstances are so complicated that the website cannot determine their eligibility for subsidies to help pay for health plans; people uncomfortable buying insurance on a computer; and people who encounter technical problems on the website.

[Mass]

4. Thanks

[TomCADem]

5. And Here Is Another Link To The Original WaPo Story...

Again, it is telling that you can't find the original text of the article on WaPo's own website. They edited the story so that readers can't see that one of the reasons why the website will not "work" for some people is because they refuse to use it.

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20131117_HealthCare_gov_goal__80_percent_able_to_enroll_for_insurance_through_website.html

Zients revived the vast majority phrase in comments to reporters the next day, adding that "most users will be able to navigate the marketplace from account creation, through the application, all the way to enrollment."

But Zients also said that "new bugs and other glitches will surface" in December and beyond that and will need to be fixed. Even if the site works well, he said,"that doesn't mean that the site will be sufficient for 100 percent of users or consumers to use for enrollment."

The Washington Post reported last week that the federal exchange was unlikely to be working fully by the end of the month. The uncertainty over the site's future performance stems from the fact that it is malfunctioning when more than 20,000 to 30,000 people - about half intended capacity - try to use it at the same time.

According to a government official familiar with the new target, the 20 percent who are unlikely to be able to enroll online are expected to fall into three groups: people whose family circumstances are so complicated that the website cannot determine their eligibility for subsidies to help pay for health plans; people uncomfortable buying insurance on a computer; and people who encounter technical problems on the website.

Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20131117_HealthCare_gov_goal__80_percent_able_to_enroll_for_insurance_through_website.html#eyfkZ4PcLQKXimsD.99

[Lifelong Dem]

3. The website may not work because 20 percent don't use computers

[Mass]

7. Here is the Washington Post link. It seems that, for whatever reason, TPM has the wrong list.

The paragraph excerpted is on the second page, which makes it hard to find.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/healthcaregov-goal-80-percent-able-to-enroll-for-insurance-through-web-site/2013/11/16/04fa02a2-4e1a-11e3-ac54-aa84301ced81_story.html

[Lns.Lns]

8. I think that the fix would be

Just letting people who are worried about their information to use a modeler. What are you looking for, basic info about income and family members without saying who you are and based on what you plugged in gives you the options. If you like an option, here is the phone number to call to address your privacy concerns. They can't say they are worried about the DB being hacked because an insurance company is probably more vulnerable and they too have your information, that is unless you never enroll in anything and live under a rock.

[libdem4life]

9. It's tough to do this in the library...with the timer going...and being new to the computer and all

for people who don't have computers.

I thought it was possible to go to the local County Health and Human Services for help? Even the phone can be challenging for folks with language challenges...elderly, second language...I've had to help seniors even with simple calls regarding their Medicare or supplement. Forget online.