Connecticut’s health exchange, created under the federal Affordable Care Act, said it has begun enrolling patients, despite the federal budget shutdown today prompted by Congress.
Access Health CT said in a statement that it expects users of its website will encounter some bugs that need to be worked out.
Around 11:15 a.m., attempts to visit the exchange’s home page were unsuccessful. Media reports from around the country reported experiencing technical difficulties accessing state and federal exchange websites.
“This was a massive three-year IT implementation, crammed into about 10 months,” Kevin Counihan, the exchange’s CEO, said in a statement. “As issues are identified, we are committed to fixing them quickly, as well as reaching out to individuals who may be affected as needed.”
Open enrollment will run through March 31. Those that enroll before Dec. 15 will start the 2014 calendar year with health coverage. Those who enroll after that date won’t have coverage until May.
Access Health CT has been running a marketing campaign to educate Connecticut residents, but across the country, many people don’t know about the exchanges, according to a survey by the Commonwealth Fund. The survey found that 60 percent of Americans are unaware of the exchanges. And among the uninsured, more than 66 percent said they didn’t know about them.
Image credit: www.freedigitalphotos.net
