# Obamacare sign up **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 1, 2013, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamacare-sign-up/670089 "2013-10-01T14:13:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2013, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamacare-sign-up/670089/21 "2013-10-02T16:31:44Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > Nonsense. There’s tons of online games that launches to major crashes and server overloads on Day One that got sorted out. You may not like the comparison but it’s the only private entity example I can think of where a launch immediately has millions of people trying to access it who had been waiting for it for months. Most sites gain their popularity gradually over time and never have to deal with an immediate crush like this. The site is inaccessible. No one can use it. For two days now, with no end in sight. No game ever rolled out like that. ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2013, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamacare-sign-up/670089/22 "2013-10-02T16:39:59Z")
I got a notice from my employer talking about the exchanges. We split the cost of healthcare between the company & the employee. Our company informed us that if you opt out of the company policy you’re going to have to pay the whole cost yourself (ie, they won’t give you any money to go buy a policy). As it is, our healthcare is very good (probably equivalent to a “Gold” policy) so I’d be foolish to dump it. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2013, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamacare-sign-up/670089/23 "2013-10-02T16:41:36Z")
Well, this proves that all aspects of Obamacare are a failure. GQ Question: What comparable, massively popular game has rolled out without a hitch? Among others, there are two necessary elements: a high degree of security/authentication and no collection of previous signup information (i.e. I believe the GTA-V rollout wouldn’t count as many gamers had pre-existing accounts they added GTA-V to). Not-so-GQ question: How would the roll-out have gone had there not been a large-scale, concerted, often coordinated effort to be sure things went tits up? ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2013, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamacare-sign-up/670089/24 "2013-10-02T16:51:37Z")
> [@Terr](#): > > The site is inaccessible. No one can use it. “Nobody goes there anymore, it’s too crowded.” ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2013, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamacare-sign-up/670089/25 "2013-10-02T16:57:50Z")
The [https://www.healthcare.gov/](https://www.healthcare.gov/) we site has been operating for more than three years. It went live 60 days after ACA was signed into law back in March 2010. Since then they’ve added more and more information practically every day. I went to the site last week and found information I was seeking that people are having a difficult time right now. The data has been up for at least a week, maybe longer. I went to several state health exchanges sites last week. Got into every one and found what I needed. Is it any wonder that when the doors “officially open” so many want to get in the front door all at once and find things a bit slow, even offline? Finny how technical issues are seen as an excuse to attack all of Obamacare. Gee, when Apple’s iOS7 came out and glitches were discovered, do those same people think everything Apple does is crap? ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2013, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamacare-sign-up/670089/26 "2013-10-02T17:05:16Z")
> [@Duckster](#): > > I went to the site last week and found information I was seeking that people are having a difficult time right now. The data has been up for at least a week, maybe longer. I’ve been on both the Federal and NY State sites on and off for a long time. (We are self-employed and self-insured, so are in the exchange demographic). There has been understandably little practical information available until yesterday. Some things came online the night before (I was able to download a spreadsheet), but the big questions/sign-up didn’t take place until the first. If I were managing things I might have allowed ID creation ahead of time, but I also understand why there might have been limitations on that and other informational activities. ---
**Author:** ![dracoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@dracoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dracoi)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2013, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamacare-sign-up/670089/27 "2013-10-02T17:11:39Z")
> [@Learjeff](#): > > I think you use a different meaning of “substantial” than most of the rest of us, and certainly different than people who were insured when they got sick but now have no insurance, or people who want to change jobs but have health problems and would be denied coverage for existing conditions. I guess the question is “significant to whom?” To healthy business owners, I bet you’re correct. Well, this is part of my point. The law has already prevented insurers from denying coverage based on existing conditions. You don’t need to buy coverage on an exchange to get that benefit. The exchange really just has two functions: 1. it’s a place to buy policies, where you can easily compare the expected benefit 2. you can qualify to have a subsidy paid directly to the insurer. But on 1) you can still buy insurance directly from an insurer or through a broker/agent if you want and 2) ultimately, any shortage or overage in subsidy is reconciled up when you file your return. So, while it is inconvenient to pay everything out of pocket all year and then get a big refund in April, the net subsidy isn’t different. We just shouldn’t look at the exchanges as if they are Obamacare, when they’re just one piece of the system. ---
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2013, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamacare-sign-up/670089/28 "2013-10-02T17:17:58Z")
> [@Revtim](#): > > “Nobody goes there anymore, it’s too crowded.” You know what - you try it. [www.marylandhealthconnection.com](http://www.marylandhealthconnection.com) - try to sign up. Tell me what happens. I just looked - they solved the problem 🙂 They just removed the “Register” button from the site. Brilliant! ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Parker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/35a633/32.png) [@Richard\_Parker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Parker)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2013, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamacare-sign-up/670089/29 "2013-10-02T17:18:28Z")
> [@Terr](#): > > The site is inaccessible. No one can use it. For two days now, with no end in sight. No game ever rolled out like that. Obviously, several governments underestimated the interest from people who want insurance, as well as from gawkers and saboteur [freepers](http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/3073341/posts)and the [rest.](http://talkingpointsmemo.com/dc/new-york-looking-into-abnormally-high-traffic-to-health-insurance-website) What does that prove, exactly? They should have invested more money in the servers and databases to make sure they could handle any conceivable load? ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2013, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamacare-sign-up/670089/30 "2013-10-02T17:44:36Z")
> [@Terr](#): > > You know what - you try it. [www.marylandhealthconnection.com](http://www.marylandhealthconnection.com) - try to sign up. Tell me what happens. > > I just looked - they solved the problem 🙂 They just removed the “Register” button from the site. Brilliant! It seems you missed my point. Let me explain. You said “The site is inaccessible. No one can use it.” If you are unable to access it because it was overloaded, then it certainly is not true that “no one can use it”, since it was the people who are able to use it that are the ones overloading it. Hence my referencing the “Nobody goes there anymore. It’s too crowded.” Yogi Berra quote. ---
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2013, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamacare-sign-up/670089/31 "2013-10-02T17:46:56Z")
> [@Revtim](#): > > It seems you missed my point. Let me explain. > > You said “The site is inaccessible. No one can use it.” If you are unable to access it because it was overloaded, then it certainly is not true that “no one can use it”, since it was the people who are able to use it that are the ones overloading it. As I pointed out, it was unusable at 3:30am today. Were there millions of people accessing it then? ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2013, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamacare-sign-up/670089/32 "2013-10-02T17:56:05Z")
Well, don’t live in Maryland then. Great laboratory of governance and all that. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2013, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamacare-sign-up/670089/33 "2013-10-02T18:01:37Z")
> [@Terr](#): > > As I pointed out, it was unusable at 3:30am today. Were there millions of people accessing it then? I think you are taking my Yogi Berra quote reference far more argumentatively than I intended it. ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2013, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamacare-sign-up/670089/34 "2013-10-02T18:10:42Z")
> [@Terr](#): > > You know what - you try it. [www.marylandhealthconnection.com](http://www.marylandhealthconnection.com) - try to sign up. Tell me what happens. > > I just looked - they solved the problem 🙂 They just removed the “Register” button from the site. Brilliant! Seems to be working when I tried it just now. They do warn that you might see some delays when signing up. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2013, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamacare-sign-up/670089/35 "2013-10-02T18:13:03Z")
I went to “get started” and it took me to the account creation screen [here](https://prod.marylandhealthconnection.gov/selfservice/) without any trouble. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2013, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamacare-sign-up/670089/36 "2013-10-02T18:15:24Z")
> [@Finagle](#): > > Seems to be working when I tried it just now. They do warn that you might see some delays when signing up. Try signing up. I’ve had a window open for like 10 minutes and it’s still spinning trying to load something. I’m a supporter of ACA and, furthermore, UHC, but it is a bit irritating that they could not have planned better for this level of initial interest. I’m sure it will all settle down when they get a more “normal” volume of traffic, but this is a bit embarrassing, IMHO. I’m getting somewhere in the [healthcare.gov](http://healthcare.gov) webpage for Illinois, but it’s been about 15 minutes and I’m still not through even making an account, but at least it seems like I’m getting somewhere. ETA: OK, well, it’s telling me the marketplace could not verify my email, after I clicked on the verification link from the email. Hmm…let’s try that again. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2013, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamacare-sign-up/670089/37 "2013-10-02T18:18:43Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > I went to “get started” and it took me to the account creation screen [here](https://prod.marylandhealthconnection.gov/selfservice/) without any trouble. Yeah, that’s the page that never loaded up for me, and still doesn’t load up for me. Maybe it takes priority for Maryland-area ISPs or something, I don’t know. At any rate, just in case there’s confusion, I’m also trying to access the Illinois information. ETA: Oh, I did get an update for my Illinois healthcare options via [healthcare.gov](http://healthcare.gov) attempt: “The System is down at the moment. We’re working to resolve the issue as soon as possible. Please try again later.” ---
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2013, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamacare-sign-up/670089/38 "2013-10-02T18:19:55Z")
> [@Finagle](#): > > Seems to be working when I tried it just now. They do warn that you might see some delays when signing up. Yes, they put the button back in. But now after you fill in the personal info and hit submit, you get a page that says they cannot verify info. And when you call them they say it’s because the web site is not working. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2013, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamacare-sign-up/670089/39 "2013-10-02T18:23:41Z")
Or better, yet, [Strongbad music to accompany my error message](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILVfzx5Pe-A). ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2013, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamacare-sign-up/670089/40 "2013-10-02T18:24:06Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Try signing up. I’ve had a window open for like 10 minutes and it’s still spinning trying to load something. > > I’m a supporter of ACA and, furthermore, UHC, but it is a bit irritating that they could not have planned better for this level of initial interest. I’m sure it will all settle down when they get a more “normal” volume of traffic, but this is a bit embarrassing, IMHO. I’m getting somewhere in the [healthcare.gov](http://healthcare.gov) webpage for Illinois, but it’s been about 15 minutes and I’m still not through even making an account, but at least it seems like I’m getting somewhere. > > ETA: OK, well, it’s telling me the marketplace could not verify my email, after I clicked on the verification link from the email. Hmm…let’s try that again. I don’t think it’s that. I’m in Florida (where we don’t have a goddamn exchange, I might add :mad:). > [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Well, don’t live in Maryland then. Great laboratory of governance and all that. **Terr** , I apologize for this post. Didn’t notice this thread was in GQ until now. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamacare-sign-up/670089.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obamacare-sign-up/670089.md?page=3)