Covered California

I spent the last week attempting to enroll in the Covered California HBX. I had the following frustrations.

1. Although I had successfully registered a user name and password on my next attempt the website refused to accept my userid/password. The password retriever did not recognize the user name.
2. The chat online function does not work.
3. Wait times are very long, and at times the link time-outs

Most people do not have the time to sit all day to access a web site that is critical in their life.

I made an appointment to see a 'certified insurance agent'. and/or Enrollment Counselors

There are many' private insurance agents, and also several non profit enrollment counselors in my area.
The choices appear to be highly prejudicial against 'white Americans' with many Hispanic, Native American, and African American organizations dominating the selections. Some choices were in the Federally Qualified Community Health Centers.

President Obama's efforts minimize the role and availability of already existing agents to enroll patients in all health plans. His emphasis has been on producing jobs for unemployed by training inexperienced 'non-profit beneficiaries' in the process.

My observations are that although the Affordable Care Act is designed for poorer Americans there are also many middle class Americans (white, yellow, and black) that would benefit from enrollment help.

There is a wide divergence of opinion on how much improvement has taken place in the past month regarding the national HealthCare.gov website. Democrats appear to be in denial clinging to 'wait and see'. Even when confronted about the failings of the system they are unable to address answers to specific issues. Republicans have become more critical,and outright hostile, frustrated by the lack of Democratic response to criticism, even when based on fact and evidence.

The states who have formed their own HBX in lieu of the national HBX appear to be better off...however, early numbers are deceiving and subject to variance. Early numbers of enrollees may not reflect how successful the Affordable Care Act will be. These numbers will depend upon the numbers who actually pay the premiums. The majority of users have been enrolled in the expanded Medi-caid program, and that is another disaster waiting to happen.

Obamacare does not and will not forge a uniform health system in the United States. Rather it will create several different tiers with a large percentage falling into lesser quality programs, less hospital and provider access. It will serve to stress further the already dysfunctional overburdened medicaid programs.