Massachusetts health care website failure highlights issues with state exchanges - Global Banking & Finance Review
The image illustrates the struggles of state health care websites, focusing on Massachusetts' failed exchange. The article discusses how states like Massachusetts faced difficulties in coordinating with federal systems for health insurance marketplaces.
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STATES WORKING TO FIX HOBBLED HEALTH CARE WEBSITES

Published by Gbaf News

Posted on November 18, 2014

1 min read
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STEVE LeBLANC, Associated Press

Massachusetts Faces Website Coordination Issues

BOSTON (AP) — The state that served as a template for President Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act had so much trouble coordinating with the federal government that it became a model of another sort: ineptitude.

Failed Rollout Prompts Official Apology

The Massachusetts website, designed by the same contractor that worked on the troubled federal website, performed so poorly it prompted a public apology from Gov. Deval Patrick.

Challenges of State-Run Health Marketplaces

Massachusetts is one of several states where the ambition of running its own health insurance marketplace inside a new federal system ran into the reality of how difficult it would be.

Varied Responses From Oregon, Nevada, Colorado

Some states, like Oregon and Nevada, folded and decided to go with the federal exchange for the second round of open enrollment that began Saturday. A few states, including Colorado and Kentucky, managed successful website rollouts.

Key Takeaways

  • Massachusetts’ health insurance website failed due to poor coordination and technology issues.
  • The site’s performance was so inadequate it led to a public apology from Gov. Deval Patrick.
  • Officials considered buying or leasing systems from states with better-performing marketplaces.
  • Manual workarounds caused a backlog of more than 50,000 paper applications.
  • Some states like Oregon and Nevada abandoned their own exchanges in favor of the federal system, while others succeeded.

References

Frequently Asked Questions

Which state’s website is highlighted as failing in coordination with the federal system?
Massachusetts’ health insurance website failed badly despite serving as a model for the Affordable Care Act.
Why did the Massachusetts site perform poorly?
It was designed by the same contractor responsible for the federal site and suffered coordination, technology stability, and performance issues, leading to manual back‑ups.
What solutions did officials consider?
Massachusetts officials considered leasing or buying technology from states with functioning insurance marketplaces.
Were other states affected similarly?
Yes; states like Oregon and Nevada abandoned their own exchanges and opted for the federal exchange, while some like Colorado and Kentucky executed successful rollouts.

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