December 05, 2013
— JohnE. Something has been bugging me about the administration's very careful and coordinated media push earlier this week about both the website and enrollment.
For starters, the website is still not in any sort of working order. It might not be coughing up as many errors and may be a little more navigable, but it's still failing at its stated purpose. The website is supposed to be a place you can easily sign up for an account, shop for available plans and then actually enroll. This isn't happening. Insurers are still complaining about being sent faulty data and the administration is quietly encouraging people to work directly with insurance companies, bypassing the system entirely.
But the word went out and it was covered in the media. The website has seen a vast improvement.
The rollout of the program through a government website, HeathCare.gov, has been plagued by technical problems since it was launched two months ago. But the White House said on Saturday after an intensive overhaul of the website that it was now working at an acceptable level.In addition to this miraculous turnaround, we were also given enrollment numbers for two days: Sunday, November 30th and Monday, December 1st.
What does two days worth of "enrollment data" give you? Well, it just happens to give you a "rate of enrollment", which can then be conveniently extrapolated over the coming open enrollments months. Watch how the National Journal does this:
Enrollment is still substantively behind schedule, and the administration has a lot of work to do to make up for lost time. The broken website effectively shaved two months off the six-month enrollment window, and enrollment in October was only 20 percent of the administration's initial expectations.Politico does it too:The administration expects 7 million people to sign up, nationwide, by the end of the six-month enrollment window. Signing up 29,000 people every two days would still not be enough to hit that target, but it's a significant step in the right direction for the White House.
The sharp increase in the pace of enrollments could begin to allay one of the industry’s other major fears — that after a two-month delay in standing up a functioning website, the administration won’t enroll enough people or the right mix of people by the March 30 deadline.Isn't it interesting that the two days they targeted for the "fixes" to be completed also happen to be the same two days they have accurate enrollment data. This comes only a month or so after Kathleen Sebelius testified that accurate data wasn't going to be available in real-time.
"I want to give you reliable, confirmed data from every state and from the federal marketplace. We have said that we will do that on a monthly basis, by the middle of the month. You will have that data, but I don't want to turn over anything that is not confirmed and reliable, and that's what we'll do."But now she has access to two days of data right away. You'll notice since this "source who is familiar with the program" (who is never named) confirmed this two days worth of enrollment data, it's been radio silence. Dead air. They're now back to touting web traffic metrics like pageviews again. So, what are we left with? A "vastly improved" website and an "enrollment surge" based on two days worth of data.
So, here's my theory. These 29,000 new enrollees over those two website deadline days was not a spike in enrollment; they were the backlogged November enrollments that had gotten caught in this data communications black hole. The information was fixed and these people were then formally enrolled over these two days. Boom, there's your enrollment spike.
Politico all but makes my case for me:
About 29,000 people signed up for health insurance through HealthCare.gov on Sunday and Monday — a figure that surpasses the total for the whole month of October, an official familiar with the program told POLITICO.Little odd, right? This administration is in desperate need of a win. The chances of a technical win at this point was a pipe dream given how far behind they were. All that was left was a media win, and for the most part, they got it. Improved website and surging enrollment.The quickened pace of enrollments came as the White House hit its self-imposed Nov. 30 deadline to fix the troubled Affordable Care Act website.
We'll see what happens later in the month. If I'm right, this will all catch up with them. If there is one thing we've seen from this bungled operation is that they're panicked and will gladly trade a long-term loss for an immediate short-term win. Just get through today's news cycle. I could be wrong, of course. It's just a theory of mine. But it all does seem convenient.
Posted by: JohnE. at
01:20 PM
| Comments (153)
Post contains 814 words, total size 5 kb.
Posted by: wooga at December 05, 2013 01:25 PM (gXsVd)
Posted by: ThisBeingMilt at December 05, 2013 01:25 PM (7mQyC)
Day One Enrollments : Six
Todays Enrollment: 29,000
HEADLINE: SUPPORT FOR PRESIDENTS SIGNATURE ACHIEVEMENT UP 4833%
Posted by: White House Spin at December 05, 2013 01:25 PM (nELVU)
Posted by: Mitch McConnell at December 05, 2013 01:25 PM (Pr6hk)
Posted by: Romeo13 at December 05, 2013 01:25 PM (lZBBB)
-
Is "acceptable" better or worse than "suboptimal"? Also, acceptable to whom?
Posted by: WalrusRex at December 05, 2013 01:26 PM (Hx5uv)
Posted by: FlatbushJoe at December 05, 2013 01:27 PM (ZPrif)
Posted by: Politico at December 05, 2013 01:27 PM (+H/11)
Posted by: ObamaCare Expert at December 05, 2013 01:27 PM (4/o9U)
Posted by: Enron at December 05, 2013 01:27 PM (8ZskC)
Posted by: Dr Spank at December 05, 2013 01:28 PM (xlX1p)
Posted by: BCochran1981 - Credible Hulk at December 05, 2013 01:28 PM (GEICT)
Posted by: Paul Krugman at December 05, 2013 01:29 PM (Pr6hk)
Posted by: artisanal 'ette at December 05, 2013 01:29 PM (IXrOn)
Posted by: The WH Office of Communications at December 05, 2013 01:29 PM (8ZskC)
Posted by: ObamaCare Expert at December 05, 2013 01:30 PM (4/o9U)
Posted by: Countrysquire at December 05, 2013 01:30 PM (LSJmV)
If its one thing they have learned is lying buys them time. Why? because the veracity has to be checked and only conservative bloggers will do it, not media who touts the earlier lie. Once the lie is exposed they go onto a new lie and the process starts all over again. It worked in both F and F and for Benghazi until the stories faded away.
Peoples lack of insurance won't fade away though, so its just all hope and skittles now. Maybe somebody famous will die to distract things.
Posted by: Guy Mohawk at December 05, 2013 01:30 PM (caCiW)
Posted by: forest at December 05, 2013 01:31 PM (stMuz)
Posted by: EROWMER at December 05, 2013 01:31 PM (OONaw)
Posted by: rickb223 at December 05, 2013 01:32 PM (NKBxV)
Posted by: Jean at December 05, 2013 01:32 PM (VRCBg)
Posted by: sandy burger at December 05, 2013 01:32 PM (6ClcK)
Posted by: President BJ Clinton at December 05, 2013 01:32 PM (yhJhK)
Posted by: Fritz at December 05, 2013 01:33 PM (UzPAd)
"So, who pays the premiums, every month/quarter/year/whatever, for all 52% of the LIVs and all the rest of us, when "life happens" at some point in all those people's lives and they can't pay? Isn't it against the LAW OF THE LAND for them not to be able to pay?"
Posted by: Sharkman at December 05, 2013 01:33 PM (TM1p8)
Posted by: imp at December 05, 2013 01:34 PM (L9AnB)
Posted by: @ParisParamus at December 05, 2013 01:34 PM (Gcm3A)
Posted by: dfbaskwill at December 05, 2013 01:35 PM (ndlFj)
Posted by: artisanal 'ette at December 05, 2013 01:35 PM (IXrOn)
Posted by: MTF at December 05, 2013 01:35 PM (B5y+v)
Posted by: t-bird at December 05, 2013 01:35 PM (FcR7P)
Posted by: Buzzion at December 05, 2013 01:35 PM (4BgY5)
It's all they know: Lying and f*cking with people
Posted by: Mamma Said There'd Be Days Like This at December 05, 2013 01:35 PM (omBWL)
Posted by: Prez'nit 404 at December 05, 2013 01:37 PM (Dwehj)
Posted by: imp at December 05, 2013 01:38 PM (L9AnB)
Posted by: t-bird at December 05, 2013 01:38 PM (FcR7P)
Posted by: Ruggiero at December 05, 2013 01:39 PM (yhJhK)
Posted by: Prez'nit 404 at December 05, 2013 01:39 PM (Dwehj)
Posted by: Bill from Chappaqua at December 05, 2013 01:40 PM (Pr6hk)
Posted by: @ParisParamus at December 05, 2013 01:40 PM (Gcm3A)
Posted by: Nip Sip at December 05, 2013 01:42 PM (0FSuD)
Posted by: Aslan's Girl at December 05, 2013 01:42 PM (KL49F)
Posted by: Mirror-Universe Mitt Romney at December 05, 2013 01:44 PM (M8OWQ)
Posted by: Mirror-Universe Mitt Romney at December 05, 2013 01:44 PM (M8OWQ)
Posted by: t-bird at December 05, 2013 01:44 PM (FcR7P)
I don't see any problems.
Posted by: Bitter Clinger and All That (Unexpurgated Edition) at December 05, 2013 01:44 PM (LSDdO)
Posted by: Mirror-Universe Mitt Romney at December 05, 2013 01:44 PM (M8OWQ)
Reading between the lines, Ocare is going down faster than a drunk prom date OD'ing on birth control pills, while tripping on roofies. But enough about Chris Mathews.
Five million people have already lost coverage because of his signature achievement in office, and he brags about the few that got shoe-horned into the non coverage known as 'Medicaid'.
A lot of people say this Ocare thing is just too big to fail. Well guess what? The Titanic was also unsinkable. Nasty Pelosi, and the left, can try to dress this rotting pig up in crotchless panties, and expensive perfume, but very vew are going to jump in bed with it.
Obama will not be able to EO himself out of the pile of shit he's buried himself in. The lick-spittle media will not be able to help him. But do remember one thing....every liberal in DC loved this plan, and they should not be allowed to walk that back.
Debbie Washing-Machine-Schlitz is right about one thing, every liberal in existence is going to be running their campaigns on Obamacare, but just not in the way she proclaims. It's gonna be a bloodbath.
Posted by: Sticky Wicket at December 05, 2013 01:44 PM (0IhFx)
Posted by: Lace Wigs & Chicken Gravy [/i] at December 05, 2013 01:44 PM (OPROh)
Posted by: Soona at December 05, 2013 01:44 PM (9sMM9)
Posted by: Karl Marx at December 05, 2013 01:45 PM (Pr6hk)
Reminds me of a Blaise Pascal quote: "There are two kinds of people in the world; sinners who think they are saints and saints who know that they are sinners."
Neither Shepard Smith nor TFG know how to pronounce "apartheid"
The Webster's Collegiate dictionary has it correct.
Posted by: Jimbo at December 05, 2013 01:45 PM (V70Uh)
Posted by: Jean at December 05, 2013 01:45 PM (+NNlC)
Posted by: artisanal 'ette at December 05, 2013 01:45 PM (IXrOn)
Posted by: t-bird at December 05, 2013 01:45 PM (FcR7P)
Posted by: Truck Monkey, Gruntled New Business Owner at December 05, 2013 01:46 PM (jucos)
Posted by: ThisBeingMilt at December 05, 2013 01:46 PM (7mQyC)
Posted by: Mirror-Universe Mitt Romney at December 05, 2013 01:47 PM (M8OWQ)
Posted by: Nip Sip at December 05, 2013 01:48 PM (0FSuD)
I'm watching an old (1992) A Touch of Frost episode. A brit crime/drama/mystery show that is often times funny.
Fawlty Towers here. "The Kipper and the Corpse" Funniest f'ing thing ever.
Posted by: Sticky Wicket at December 05, 2013 01:48 PM (0IhFx)
Posted by: Minnfidel at December 05, 2013 01:48 PM (5M2+1)
And the media is right there helping them with this effort. It is similar to how the huge login hacks of many popular sites are reported. Many broadcast news stories don't mention that it was keylogger viruses for peoples computers, not an actual hacking of the sites. They are trying to create some sense of ease that look Facebook can be hacked so don't worry about your private info with Healthcare.gov. My friends are not buying it and refuse to believe the security of the info.
Posted by: Astuter Computer at December 05, 2013 01:48 PM (JW2dN)
Don't touch that site, please. Your primitive intellect wouldn't understand alloys and compositions and things with... molecular structures.
Posted by: ObamaCare Expert at December 05, 2013 05:27 PM (4/o9U)
My GOP just might be able to hold them off.
And I might be a Chinese jet pilot.
Posted by: IllTemperedCur at December 05, 2013 01:49 PM (TIIx5)
Posted by: shibumi at December 05, 2013 01:49 PM (25HWz)
I wonder if Nancy Pefugli ever regrets marching with that big gavel with that black guy that nobody spit at.
Posted by: Guy Mohawk at December 05, 2013 01:50 PM (caCiW)
Damnit , you guys put up a new thread before I could finally incorporate my favorite walked into a bar joke with Mandela's death. It will be my first non- original but I was wondering when I was going to be able to work it in. So here it goes.
Nelson Mandela's skeleton walks into a bar and orders a beer and a mop.
Bada Bing!
Posted by: polynikes self proclaimed king of walked into a bar jokes at December 05, 2013 01:50 PM (m2CN7)
Posted by: Mirror-Universe Mitt Romney at December 05, 2013 01:51 PM (M8OWQ)
Posted by: Baldy at December 05, 2013 01:51 PM (2bql3)
Posted by: Minnfidel at December 05, 2013 01:51 PM (5M2+1)
And then couldn't bear to share the numbers of day 3 with us.
Yeah
Death spiral.
>>> and will gladly trade a long-term loss for an immediate short-term win. Just get through today's news cycle.
If that's the case we should start bleeding them to do just exactly that. Keep making payday loans to them and call it due next October.
Posted by: MikeTheMoose Laughing Maniacally While Throwing Matches. at December 05, 2013 01:52 PM (0q2P7)
Hospice and home care may be subject to the hardest hits from the Affordable Care Act, also known as "Obamacare." The National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) estimated that by 2017, nearly three-quarters of these specialized care centers will be operating at a loss.
"Medicare payment rate cuts will make the industry unstable," Bill Dombi, vice president at the NAHC, told The Christian Post in an interview this week. "By 2017, 72.9 percent of all home health will be paid less than the cost of care," he predicted.
http://tinyurl.com/ly55csc
Posted by: mama winger at December 05, 2013 01:53 PM (P6QsQ)
Posted by: I blow my nose at you! at December 05, 2013 01:54 PM (jdRXP)
Please, in the future, avoid at all costs using the words 'Pelosi' and 'crotchless panties' in the same sentence.
Thanks in advance, you knucklehead.
Posted by: GnuBreed at December 05, 2013 01:54 PM (cHZB7)
The Korean Bikini Surge is real, I can tell you that.
Posted by: garrett at December 05, 2013 01:54 PM (1AAEe)
Posted by: FlatbushJoe at December 05, 2013 01:54 PM (ZPrif)
Posted by: Logan 5 at December 05, 2013 01:57 PM (kUgpq)
Posted by: The Mega Independent at December 05, 2013 01:57 PM (4/o9U)
Posted by: Mirror-Universe Mitt Romney at December 05, 2013 01:59 PM (M8OWQ)
Posted by: President of Libya at December 05, 2013 02:00 PM (P0q78)
Posted by: Seamus Muldoon at December 05, 2013 02:01 PM (52Rhl)
Posted by: Minnfidel at December 05, 2013 02:02 PM (5M2+1)
Please, in the future, avoid at all costs using the words 'Pelosi' and 'crotchless panties' in the same sentence.
Thanks in advance, you knucklehead.
Ok fine! Strike all mention of "crotchless panties", and replace with "nipple pink candy pasties".
You're welcome.
Posted by: Sticky Wicket at December 05, 2013 02:02 PM (0IhFx)
Good night. Leaving work to go to a bar. Ironic isn't.
Posted by: polynikes self proclaimed king of walked into a bar jokes at December 05, 2013 02:03 PM (m2CN7)
Posted by: FenelonSpoke at December 05, 2013 02:03 PM (BC6cY)
Gosh, I bet some forensic economist or financial analyst could possibly be used by the big BIG Networks to figger out where a fucking billion dollars was spent when the result is an absolute disaster.
let me start by guessing that it all went to a slush fund that furthered poltical interests rather than putting the system together.
But that's just me being paranoid, of course.
Posted by: Rev Dr E Buzz Commissar at December 05, 2013 02:04 PM (HQml1)
Posted by: polynikes self proclaimed king of walked into a bar jokes at December 05, 2013 06:03 PM (m2CN7)
Well ironic in a Alana Morrisett kind of way.
Posted by: polynikes self proclaimed king of walked into a bar jokes at December 05, 2013 02:04 PM (m2CN7)
Nelson Mandela: Ha Ha.
Posted by: WalrusRex at December 05, 2013 02:04 PM (Hx5uv)
Posted by: FenelonSpoke at December 05, 2013 02:04 PM (BC6cY)
Posted by: Mirror-Universe Mitt Romney at December 05, 2013 02:05 PM (M8OWQ)
Was that the coldest, most lifeless house or what?
You're doing it wrong.
Posted by: Hellooooo, there's a bikini in the room, show some respect at December 05, 2013 02:06 PM (nsOJa)
Posted by: mama winger at December 05, 2013 02:06 PM (P6QsQ)
Posted by: Darth Randall at December 05, 2013 02:06 PM (Zswg6)
I might have to rework my observation about "the only real difference between Obamacare and Aktion T-4 is with the former you get to die at home."
Posted by: HeatherRadish™ needs a beer at December 05, 2013 02:07 PM (/kI1Q)
Posted by: Hepcat at December 05, 2013 02:07 PM (Q4mug)
Posted by: Naes1984 at December 05, 2013 02:08 PM (zeV2E)
Posted by: Nip Sip at December 05, 2013 02:08 PM (0FSuD)
Posted by: --- at December 05, 2013 02:09 PM (MMC8r)
Posted by: weirdflunkyonatablet at December 05, 2013 02:09 PM (zwGFJ)
Much better. Actually, I subscribe to the Ron White theory of titty watching -- Once you've seen one set of titties, you want to see them all.
Posted by: GnuBreed at December 05, 2013 02:10 PM (cHZB7)
Posted by: Nip Sip at December 05, 2013 02:10 PM (0FSuD)
Actually, I subscribe to the Ron White theory of titty watching -- Once you've seen one set of titties, you want to see them all.
I think I love you.
Posted by: Tara Reid's Burnt Pepperoni Nipples at December 05, 2013 02:11 PM (1AAEe)
With Mandela gone, it's time to gift the South African people one billion dollars as a show of sympathy. The American people approve of this expendature, and willingly stand with their government in making this miniscule genture of friendship and solidarity. Black Power!
Posted by: President Barack Hussein Obama at December 05, 2013 02:12 PM (pJF+c)
Should we ever expect Communists to be honest about anything?
Especially stuff that is politically damaging?
Nope, never, don't bother. It's all a goddamned lie.
Posted by: Rev Dr E Buzz Commissar at December 05, 2013 02:12 PM (HQml1)
Posted by: Lena Dunham at December 05, 2013 02:12 PM (MMC8r)
Posted by: Soona at December 05, 2013 02:13 PM (9sMM9)
Posted by: Nip Sip at December 05, 2013 02:13 PM (0FSuD)
Posted by: Minnfidel at December 05, 2013 02:14 PM (5M2+1)
So a writing I go.
And a good old North Korean joke:
Q - Why do North Korean troops always travel in threes?
A - In case two raise their hands and go "Chu hoi!"
Posted by: Anna Puma (+SmuD) at December 05, 2013 02:15 PM (iGP6J)
Posted by: rickb223 at December 05, 2013 02:15 PM (NKBxV)
Nelson Mandela was an unrelenting voice for democracy and his ‘long walk to freedom’ showed an enduring faith in God and respect for human dignity. His perseverance in fighting the apartheid system will continue to inspire future generations. Mandela led his countrymen through times of epic change with a quiet moral authority that directed his own path from prisoner to president. He passes this world as a champion of peace and racial harmony. I send condolences to the Mandela family and to the people of South Africa.
-
Democracy? Human dignity? Peace?
Posted by: WalrusRex at December 05, 2013 02:15 PM (Hx5uv)
---
I think you meant Wierd Al Yankovic. Still funny though.
Posted by: ThisBeingMilt at December 05, 2013 02:19 PM (7mQyC)
Fox News is going to drive this Mandella story into the ground with three day coverage far surpassing even the "Senator Lindsey Graham Caught With Underage Boy" story.
Posted by: Doctor Fish at December 05, 2013 02:19 PM (pJF+c)
Posted by: Minnfidel at December 05, 2013 02:20 PM (5M2+1)
Posted by: Baldy at December 05, 2013 02:22 PM (2bql3)
Posted by: Seamus Muldoon at December 05, 2013 02:22 PM (52Rhl)
Posted by: Seamus Muldoon at December 05, 2013 02:24 PM (52Rhl)
I'm still hung up on the notion that someone would want to see ALL the titties.
That's just crazy talk.
Posted by: garrett at December 05, 2013 02:24 PM (1AAEe)
The government can't get real-time data?
Liars
Posted by: Dwayne the canoe guy at December 05, 2013 02:25 PM (XLxip)
The makers of the YouVersion Bible app has a real-time screen counting how many minutes folks are using their app. They can tell you how many downloads have occured at any minute.
They answer to a higher authority.
Posted by: Henrew National at December 05, 2013 02:27 PM (1AAEe)
Wait'll you get a load of these puppies....
Posted by: Hillary at December 05, 2013 02:28 PM (NXg/k)
Today there was an article about which hospitals were covered.
Turns out our local hospital isn't covered by the main plans. The regional trauma center isn't covered either, or the main cancer treatment hospital.
She called Premera Blue Cross and asked if the ambulance drivers kept lists of which hospitals are 'in plan' for which insurance. Of course the answer was no...the nice lady at Premera was kind enough to reassure my wife that she would be covered in an 'out of plan' emergency hospital until she was 'stable enough to transport'.
Hell hath no fury like an Obama supporter that has found out they've been lied to about their health care coverage.
Posted by: harrywr2 at December 05, 2013 02:29 PM (fDMbO)
Posted by: William at December 05, 2013 03:00 PM (tdAln)
Posted by: David at December 05, 2013 03:04 PM (S7oMm)
Posted by: Wodun at December 05, 2013 04:10 PM (fbqZE)
This is gonna work out well.
Posted by: West at December 05, 2013 04:22 PM (aDICA)
Posted by: coffeetime at December 05, 2013 05:55 PM (xaEfJ)
Exactly. The goal of Obamacare was to have millions more people get health insurance. If 5 million people lose their insurance coverage this year and 5 million people get insurance through Healthcare.gov, then we will have spent billions of dollars without making a dent in the problem of people being uninsured.
Also, regarding the enrollment surge -- naturally there would be a surge of enrollments on the day the web site was supposed to have been fixed. If you already want to sign up for health insurance, and President Obama says the web site will be working on Nov. 30, guess what day you're probably going to log on and try to enroll? The government can't assume that the pace of enrollment on Nov. 30 is going to be matched on Dec. 2, 3, 4, 5, etc.
That would be like saying that if Iron Man 3 spends 19 weeks in the movie theaters, and it grosses $174 million in its first three days, it will gross $7.7 billion for its entire run. In actuality, it grossed $408 million for its entire run -- because the people who really wanted to see it went to see it as soon as it was released. Similarly, people who really want to buy health insurance are going to try to buy it as soon as they can.
Posted by: Joshua at December 06, 2013 08:14 AM (oCZ4e)
Posted by: Leit Bart at December 07, 2013 10:46 AM (bSNFg)
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Posted by: Andy Dufresne at December 05, 2013 01:24 PM (Pr6hk)