Md. Health Secretary: State Exchange Site's Glitches Could Force Overhaul or Abandonment

Maryland’s health exchange Web site is still riddled with glitches and might need to be completely overhauled — or even abandoned — once the first round of enrollment ends March 31, a member of Gov. Martin O’Malley’s Cabinet told lawmakers Tuesday.

Until then, state officials say they have come up with a system of temporary fixes aimed at getting as many Marylanders as possible signed up for health coverage before the deadline. That has included hiring dozens of people to staff call centers and, in some cases, resorting to paper applications.

“There are serious challenges that still remain. I don’t want to sugar­coat that,” Joshua M. Sharfstein, secretary of health and mental hygiene, told members of the state Senate Finance Committee late Tuesday afternoon. “It’s going to have to improve for us to stick with it for the long term.”

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Source: The Washington Post