Sure, the task of offering enrollment using the "exchange" websites was a debacle. Maybe this is one reason that a "single payer" universal national healthcare was not enacted.

I got a letter offering me Blue Cross/Blue Shield health insurance the other day -- at what price? I'll have to call Monday ...

I hope they have a Plan "B" for me because my insurance is administered by the USDA PCIP (pre-existing conditions) $425 month premiums for one person/ $10,900 maximum out of pocket /$2,500 deductible -- I need to schedule some serious surgery next month. This insurance expires 12/31/2014. I couldn't even get insurance before at any price ...

The Feds picked up my insurance when the federally funded state grant for the HIP/PCIP expired and my policy ended. The folly in all of this is that when I was issued this coverage that I have: they said that I would need to get new coverage for health insurance before December 31, 2013 and the federal exchange website would be available October 1, 2013 -- there is no state maintained exchange.

So get your shit together already! I could give two-shits about the money, the point is that the way the medical-industry is set up in America, and it is an entrenched industry, is that without insurance you do not have good access to the best medical care without a lot of bullshit. Money in hand, still I seem to be falling through the cracks ... Sure, if you have some minor trauma they cannot refuse to render aid to stabilize your situation in the ER, and in some emergency life-threatening cases, you will be admitted as an in-patient. A welfare recipient on Medicaid will get better health services then the uninsured.

All the whining about fines is bullshit too -- if your healthcare insurance would cost more than 8% of your income you are exempt from the mandatory buying of health insurance. So, if you really cannot afford healthcare insurance you can get Medicaid at no cost to you in 2/3+ of the states. (The 1% will pay (they never pay shit -- we all [the tax payers] will have to pay)). If you really do earn good money then you would have health insurance anyway ...

Should we have to pay for Medicaid for low-wage workers at fast-food restaurants and discount retailers or factory workers with low wages and no medical benefits? If their employers can't pay, I should subsidise them so they can be profitable --WTF? That is corporate welfare -- private enterprise exacting a tax on society for it's existence and benefit.

For that matter -- why are my property taxes so high? One reason is property tax exemptions given to select business property (who lobbies best). I (by this I mean all tax-payers) should pay for a business' property tax exemption -- that exemption is not an entitlement too? Business property that is tax exempt uses no police and fire department services? They don't use roads and other government provided infrastructure? It's horse-shit that has gotten out of hand.

Don't like this healthcare insurance "entitlement" we have to pay for? To quote Reagan (one of your heros?) Ronald Reagan used to say: "the beauty of our system is you can vote with your feet" Somalia is a long walk ...

You send more 'confidential information' than that every year when you file a tax return.

When you buy on line your credit card and you as well as its purchase history is shared among many online merchants -- there are databases for just that purpose. For that matter, there are databases that dating sites and social media sites use to investigate and validate users. That's right, when you register for many of these websites your browser is fingerprinted, your IP (block) checked against that browser fingerprint, other information that the browser gives up is scrutinized and shared in the database.

All Insurance companies require your social security number ( and run a credit report) as part of the policy underwriting process.

The one point is; why the preqalification is even necessary? On that I agree, prior to purchase it is not necessary.

It's an overzealous "squeeze-page mentality" a delusion of the "Obamacare folks". A simple registration pre-purchase of a name and email address would suffice.

Even if they wanted to restrict the payment of this insurance's federal subsidies to taxpayer-citizens, I can't see why any pricing information would harm any party -- the more transparency in this process, the insurance offering and underwriting the better.