The second rollout of the online federal healthcare exchange website experienced some setbacks within 12 hours of launching at midnight Saturday.
HealthCare.gov stopped letting some people log into their new accounts, USA Today reported.
“We’d go in with an e-mail account, can set up an account, verify it and create a password, but when go back to actually log in with that information, it says your password is invalid,” said William Chapman, a broker and owner of the Health Insurance Store of Louisiana in Baton Rouge, told the paper.
Mr. Chapman said none of his 10 agents were able to log in to their new accounts until about 1 p.m. Saturday. He was then told that the problem was system-wide when he called the website’s help center.
“The vast majority of users are having a smooth experience during the first day of Open Enrollment on HealthCare.gov as they fill out applications, browse and enroll in plans,” HHS spokesman Aaron Albright said in an e-mailed statement to USA Today. “We expect to experience the normal issues that any other complicated technology project does upon launch and have seen a small number so far.”
Mr. Albright said the department would “continue to work every day to make the consumer experience simpler and easier.”
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One of three USA Today staff members that created new account in Virginia was blocked from logging in. After a five-minute wait on hold with the call center, an employee unlocked the account but said it would be at least two hours before the reporter could log in.
The reporter was still unable to log in to the account after more than two hours, and the password had to be reset. Upon a third call to the call center, a woman answering the phone said she would have to relay the case to “an advanced resolution specialist” who would call back “within five to seven business days.”
The Department of Health and Human Services reported more than 23,000 people had submitted applications within the first eight hours of open enrollment.
• Kellan Howell can be reached at khowell@washingtontimes.com.
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