Monday, November 4, 2013

Jay Carney nears meltdown over questions about Obamacare application process

This exchange today between ABC News’ Jonathan Karl and White House press secretary Jay Carney was rather…well, interesting. - Le-gal In-sur-rec-tion
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In a post entitled Obamacare Paper, Phone, Web Apps ‘Stuck in the Same Queue,’ Memos Note, ABC News reported:

A series of internal Obama administration memos obtained exclusively by ABC News reveal for the first time how dysfunction with HealthCare.gov has upended the entire Affordable Care Act enrollment process, including applications by paper and phone that officials have been pushing as more reliable alternatives.

While President Obama and other top aides have publicly reassured frustrated consumers that they can bypass the troubled website and apply by phone in as little as 25 minutes, those working most closely with the rollout acknowledged privately that even the nonelectronic avenues would be no more efficient or guaranteed, the documents show.

“The same portal is used to determine eligibility no matter how the application is submitted (paper, online),” reads a Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight memo from Oct. 11.

“The paper applications allow people to feel like they are moving forward in the process and provides another option,” it says. “At the end of the day, we are all stuck in the same queue.”