USA
Today Taps Joel Ario for Article on Exchange Glitches
"Traffic Surges, Glitches Mark Exchanges' Debut"
USA Today
October 3, 2013 - USA Today turned to Manatt's Joel Ario, a managing director with Manatt Health Solutions, for insight into the technical glitches and delays that consumers experienced on the first day of the health insurance exchanges.
USA Today reports that the opening of the insurance marketplaces saw a combination of huge interest and spotty technology that led to a series of glitches, delays and even crashes that marred the first hours of the exchanges. About 2.8 million visited the federal website, Healthcare.gov, so some of the delays were attributed to the high traffic volume.
The surge in interest in the site is one reason for the problems, said Ario.
"This day has gotten a lot more attention than anyone anticipated," Ario said. "I'm not eligible for the exchange, but I've been on the site. There are going to be reporters. I've seen a lot of people come across my screen saying, 'Check out this state.'"
"It's a surprisingly high number to me," Ario said of the millions of hits reported so far. "I think it all goes to that notion that this is supposed to be a six-month gradual process."
Read the article here.