Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius acknowledged the shaky start to the roll out of the insurance marketplace could have been avoided, perhaps if better projections of the demand had been anticipated.
As part of President Obama’s signature healthcare law, Healthcare.gov, the federal marketplace has seen a number of glitches and delays since opening on October 1st.
Sebelius, who was in Tampa Tuesday said, each day the online marketplace is being improved, wait times have come down, as technicians work around the clock to address the problems.
Earlier this week, speaking on MSNBC, she did acknowledge that a much smoother roll-out would have been preferred and the pent-up demand should have been anticipated.
According to Sebelius, the site has received over 10 million hits in its first week and over 600,000 calls have been made to the 24/7 toll-free line (1-800-318-2596), demonstrating that interest is very high for persons seeking health insurance.
“We will continue making upgrades and improvements to the consumer experience so more of our neighbors are able to realize this dream when the new coverage takes effect,” she said.
Sebelius also said that, six out of 10 eligible folks will find a plan under $100 and have health security which a lot of us take for granted.
In states like Florida, which have fought against setting up exchanges and where the government has had to do so, there has been incredible support on the ground at the local level, she said. Eligible persons have until December 15th to enroll for coverage which begins January 1, 2014. But open enrollment runs through March 2014.
Sebelius again urged the Florida Legislature again, to expand Medicaid and pointed out that the state was leaving $51 billion on the table over the next decade and over 1.2 million Floridians uninsured.
