People who are successfully able to apply for health coverage through the exchange may be able to knock off two birds with one stone – getting themselves a health plan and at the same time registering to vote.
According to Wisconsin-based think tank MacIver Institute, once individuals – who presumably don't have employee benefits – get through the application component at healthcare.gov, they are soon thereafter asked if they would like to go through the registration process for voting in national elections.
Brett Healey, president of the MacIver Institute for Public Policy, noted that while this may seem like a convenience to some, to others, it could make things more difficult and confusing than they are already.
"The launch, the website and the enrollment process all have been a complete disaster for Obamacare," said Healy. "Why doesn't the federal government wait until they successfully sign some people up for the program before they complicate things even further?"
He added while there does appear to be interest in the exchanges, exhibited by the rate of web traffic on exchange websites, some people are experiencing "stick shock," becoming aware of how expensive coverage costs are once they get through.
There are no official numbers or statements that have been made by government leaders as to how many people have successfully enrolled. On the "Daily Show with Jon Stewart," Kathleen Sebelius, secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, was asked how many people had been able to enroll thus far. She did not have any official numbers.
A staunch supporter of the exchanges and former White House press secretary, Robert Gibbs, recently told MSNBC that the failings of the insurance marketplaces go "beyond the pale" of what anyone expected.
"This was bungled badly," said Gibbs. "This was not a server problem, just too many people came to the website. This is a website architecture problem."
