Bugs worked out of state's health exchange
By KELLY FAY
Despite technical issues following the launch of an online health insurance marketplace, more New Yorkers have registered for health care under the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, using the new website than any other state, the state Department of Health reports.
"As far as I know, the popular interest in the Affordable Care Act and demand for coverage turned out to be far more than anyone could have predicted, and it overloaded the servers," Assemblyman Richard Gottfried, D-Manhattan, chair of the Health Committee said. "The state dramatically expanded the site's capacity immediately."
After the initial launch early on Oct. 1, users encountered error messages and malfunctions with the site due to an unanticipated level of usage. Between Oct. 1 and 4, more than 65,000 people visited and shopped on the site. According to Donna Frescatore, executive director of New York State of Health, the name given to New York's insurance marketplace, daily performance improvements are being made to allow the site to operate better including additional servers and software upgrades. Technicians are also monitoring the site on a round-the-clock basis to address any new problems that may occur.
Now, with the website running more efficiently, more than 40,000 individuals and small businesses used the site to enroll in insurance programs during its first week. Additionally, the state's customer service representatives assisted more than 26,000 callers.
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