Today, CMS Administrator Marilyn Tavenner Claimed That The Administration Was Not Aware Of The Volume Issues That Would Arise After The Launch Of The Website. REED: “You’ve demonstrated to me in that relationship and those prior dealings a very high level of competence. I’ve been listening to your testimony today. And I really want to focus on my oversight responsibilities on this Committee. You had indicated to Mr. Buchanan, Ms. Tavenner, that you were not aware prior to October 1st, of any problems with the website. Did I misinterpret your response to Mr. Buchanan’s question?” TAVENNER: “No, we had tested the website and we were comfortable with its performance. Now, like I said, we knew all along there would be as with any new website, some individual glitches we would have to work out. The volume issue and the creation of account issues was not anticipated and obviously took us by surprise. And did not show up in testing.” (Marilyn Tavenner, Ways And Means, U.S. House Of Representatives, Hearing, 10/29/13)
But An Internal Launch Test The Day Before Its Debut, The Obamacare Site Crashed With Just A Few Hundred People Logging On
An Internal Test Of The ObamaCare Website “Crashed After A Simulation In Which Just A Few Hundred People Tried To Long On Simultaneously.” “Days before the launch of President Obama’s online health insurance marketplace, government officials and contractors tested a key part of the Web site to see whether it could handle tens of thousands of consumers at the same time. It crashed after a simulation in which just a few hundred people tried to log on simultaneously.” (Lena H. Sun and Scott Wilson, “Health Insurance Exchange Launched Despite Signs Of Serious Problems,” The Washington Post, 10/22/13)
- The ObamaCare Site “Locked Up Shortly After Midnight.” “When the Web site went live Oct. 1, it locked up shortly after midnight as about 2,000 users attempted to complete the first step, according to two people familiar with the project.” (Lena H. Sun and Scott Wilson, “Health Insurance Exchange Launched Despite Signs Of Serious Problems,” The Washington Post, 10/22/13)
“Despite The Failed Test, Federal Health Officials Plowed Ahead.” (Lena H. Sun and Scott Wilson, “Health Insurance Exchange Launched Despite Signs Of Serious Problems,”The Washington Post, 10/22/13)
- According To A Person Working On The Exchange, “We Named It The Tyranny Of The October 1 Date.” “People working on the project knew that Oct. 1 was set in stone as a launch date. ‘We named it the tyranny of the October 1 date,’ said a person close to the project.” (Lena H. Sun and Scott Wilson, “Health Insurance Exchange Launched Despite Signs Of Serious Problems,” The Washington Post, 10/22/13)
The Launch “Was So Rushed … The Exchange’s Computer Code Contained Placeholder Language That Programmers Typically Used In Preliminary Drafts.” “The introduction was so rushed that, as recently as last week, the exchange’s computer code contained placeholder language that programmers typically use in preliminary drafts, said Clay Johnson, a former White House presidential innovation fellow during 2012-2013.” (Mike Dorning, Alex Wayne, And Kathleen Miller, “ObamaCare Crashes Months In Coming Not Easily Repaired,” Bloomberg, 10/22/13)
- “It Was A Perfect Storm For An IT Meltdown.” “‘It was a perfect storm for an IT meltdown,’ said John Gorman, a former assistant to the director of the Health Care Financing Administration’s Office of Managed Care, the predecessor to the agency responsible, now known as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, or CMS.” (Mike Dorning, Alex Wayne, And Kathleen Miller, “ObamaCare Crashes Months In Coming Not Easily Repaired,” Bloomberg, 10/22/13)
