Healthcare.gov Tips

Shut Up and Drive

Posted in Huffington Post comment section 10/23/2013

Draft 1

How about some Tips?
I got in first try.  Here’s what I did:
1.  Windows 8 IE has some tricky code with website based protection shielding the user and the computer; try opening two instances [two windows, each healthcare.gov, simultaneously with IE browser],  click ‘login’ on both, wait a few seconds… the hardware on the .gov site is blazing fast.  This should force the remote server to recognize you.  IE 10 is MUCH safer and protective, but tendency shows unless the developer is a Certified Application Developer and / or gets their code Signed,  IE 10 acts ‘more protective’ rather than assuming the user knows what they are doing.  I am sure part of this is proprietary coding, but with the addition of ‘Smart Screen Filtering,’ I am glad that keyloggers and other data traps have to work to intercept my communications.  And the hacker DO work harder to intercept my data.  Just saying, be glad some entity is out there thinking safety first.

2.  Try Firefox 32-bit.  Easy Peasy first shot almost cruise controlled me [no pun intended] to the finish line.  Watch the auto-negotiating communication message status box in lower left of browser fly.

3.  Open IE AND Firefox 32-bit, both with same site healthcare.gov.  Sit back and wait about 45sec for text message to drop on local phone.  I was amazed.  A little more ‘out of the box’ and a little less ‘let’s beat the new kid up’ goes a long way.

Screaming and finger-pointing does nothing to advance solutions.  With this in mind, many insurance companies may use customized software written in a variety of languages and stylistic structures.  Anyone who has tried to mend together legacy code and dated software into a new front end application will describe a myriad of pitfalls.  Critical to this is COOPERATION on the insurance provider side.  Unfortunately, a business who wishes to maintain a competitive advantage will be less likely to play nice at the park.

Spending money on blocking forward movement is just as foolish as shutting down the government.

Form Entry:

Seems the next issue is the website retaining and passing information into its screen flow destination.  Thinking about my experience, Connecticut is not listed as a state able to utilize the HealthCare.gov Price Plan Purchasing part of the site, and CT is not listed in the drop-down box.  When I tried to create and login in to my new account, and enter into the personal information section area anyway, I was still asked to provide my location.  In a Listed State Application Fill, my guess is either the drop-down box has not been correctly activated, passing the State of Residence onto the Insurance Plans Screen, the plans are not linking to customer information because Listed Plan Providers are not previous providers in the state, or the market is trying to test prices without giving away the national lowest price.  This is the Insurance Providers fault, or responsibility to accept the hand-off and modify their algorithms.  Regardless, I think the error lies in the ‘State of Residence’ field, segment of code, or acceptance by providers to provide similar prices for similar services nationwide.

This could be temporarily remedied by creating another screen to display the retained records on one side, and the ‘base plans’ on the other.  Screen 1, login / create account.  Screen 2, individual or family personal information field entry, existing screen three now split in middle to add display of new customer data on left, scrollable, ‘base plan or stock plan’ offerings, scrollable, on right.  So the creation of a new container or array to hold the customer information has occurred.  Next, a new screen 4, when website and providers are on board, the mending of the two halves of screen three to show discounted prices tailored to criteria determined.  A button would allow purchase or carry over to payment verification and payment data.  Screen Two could later be followed by a 2a, ‘Detailed Customer Information’ with a link to add family members after individual plans were considered.

Hope this helps.
Anthony Maisano III

Channeling Fletch F. Fletch

I like to use a little chewing gum on rides like this, some slipstreaming, and; oh look… You’re in.

[paraphrased from the movie Fletch, Chevy Chase]