Amid federal rollout troubles surrounding the online marketplace healthcare.gov., state health exchange directors gathered on a conference call today to counter the negative publicity.
President Obama promised to fix the broken promises and broken website stemming from his Affordable Care Act. Observers say the flawed rollout of the federal website in six weeks accomplished what Republicans failed to do in three years: undermine support not only for Obamacare but for Obama the president.
While the federal initiative sputters along, the Empire State is faring much better: Danielle Holahan is Deputy Director of New York Health Benefit Exchange. She shares the latest snapshot of data as of November 12th.
Holahan emphasized New York's exchange has been a success. To date, 3,100 brokers, 500 navigators and 290 certified application counselors have been trained, certified and registered... and the website is working well.
Access Health Connecticut's CEO Kevin Counihan empathizes with healthcare shoppers. Peter Lee, Executive Director of Covered California, came down hard on the media for its style of reporting about Obamacare. The conference call was presented by Families USA. The nonprofit advocacy organization recently received a $1 million grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to tell pro-Obamacare stories.
