October 7, 2013.

Software, Design Defects Cripple Health-Care Website

The old man brightened suddenly.

Six days into the launch of insurance marketplaces created by the new health-care law, the federal government acknowledged for the first time Sunday it needed to fix design and software problems that have kept customers from applying online for coverage.

"Top 'ats!" he said. "Funny you should mention 'em. The same thing come into my 'ead only yesterday, I donno why. I was jest thinking, I ain't seen a top 'at in years. Gorn right out, they 'ave. The last time I wore one was at my sister-in-law's funeral. And that was----well, I couldn't give you the date, but it must'a been fifty years ago. Of course it was only 'ired for the occasion, you understand."

The Obama administration said last week that an unanticipated surge of Web traffic caused most of the problems and was a sign of high demand by people seeking to buy coverage under the new law.

"It isn't very important about the top hats," said Winston patiently. "The point is, these capitalists----they and a few lawyers and priests and so forth who lived on them----were the lords of the earth. Everything existed for their benefit. You -- the ordinary people, the workers----were their slaves. They could do what they liked with you. They could ship you off to Canada like cattle. They could sleep with your daughters if they chose. They could order you to be flogged with something called a cat-o'-nine tails. You had to take your cap off when you passed them. Every capitalist went about with a gang of lackeys who----"

But federal officials said Sunday the online marketplace needed design changes, as well as more server capacity to improve efficiency on the federally run exchange that serves 36 states.