Delays hamper California's health insurance exchange on opening day

Delays hamper California’s health insurance exchange on opening day

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Medi-Cal patient Elizabeth Martinez, and her 2-year-old son Maximiliano, wait to see a doctor in the emergency room of L.A. County-USC Medical Center in Los Angeles. This is the first day for signups for insurance coverage through the Affordable Care Act -- also known as Obamacare. Martinez said that she knew very little about the Affordable Care Act. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

2/13

Patient resource worker Jose Amparo Garcia, right, checks in Carlos Revelo, 60, who was applying for the Ability to Pay plan at L.A. County-USC Medical Center. Revelo, who is unemployed and has no health insurance, has done very little research on the Affordable Care Act. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

3/13

John Wieger, who recently moved from Arkansas to Los Angeles, waits outside the JWCH Institute in Los Angeles’ skid row for help with a knee injury. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

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Lionel Mathis, shown outside the JWCH Institute in Los Angeles’ skid row, talks about Obamacare on the opening day of enrollment for insurance under the federal health program. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

5/13

Marisela Garcia holds her 2-month-old son, Abraham Angulo, as she fills out paperwork with her other children Victor Garcia, 11, and 3-year-old Miley Garcia at Molina Health Clinic in Fontana. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

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Nurse Marisol Vasquez measures the height of 11-year-old Victor Garcia at Molina Health Clinic. Garcia’s mother came into the clinic in Fontana looking to purchase insurance through the exchanges, because her insurance is expiring at the end of November. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

7/13

Annette Diaz holds her daughter Kayla Valenzuela, 3, with her son Johnnie Valenzuela, 5 months, sleeping while they seek help in the Health Benefits Resource Center at St. Francis Medical Center in Lynwood. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

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Annette Diaz holds her daughter Kayla Valenzuela, 3, while they seek help in the Health Benefits Resource Center at St. Francis Medical Center in Lynwood. Diaz and her family were seeking help with the CalFresh program and also received counseling about the Affordable Care Act and insurance exchange. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

9/13

Maria Zavala, an Outreach Benefits Specialist with St. Francis Medical Center in Lynwood, holds a flyer announcing an upcoming healthcare event providing details to the public about the Affordable Care Act. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

10/13

Rosana Herrera, left, operations coordinator at the Health Benefits Resource Center at St. Francis Medical Center in Lynwood, offers daily help and counsel on the Affordable Care Act and insurance exchange issues to confused patients and clients. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

11/13

A Zumba exercise dancer performs during the launch of Affordable California, the state’s Affordable Care Act marketplace, at Union Station in downtown Los Angeles. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

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Covered California employees Laura Palomares and Naomi Gamez greet visitors to the launch of the state’s Affordable Care Act marketplace during an event at Union Station in downtown Los Angeles. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

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Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti congratulates Covered California executive Peter Lee during the launch of the state’s Affordable Care Act marketplace at Union Station in downtown Los Angeles. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

By Chad Terhune

Oct. 1, 2013 9:16 AM PT

Like other states, California’s online enrollment system for its new health insurance marketplace was experiencing delays as it opened Tuesday.

Some consumers reported difficulties trying to log in to the Covered California website, and wait times to the state’s call center were running more than 30 minutes in some cases.

Other states reported early technical difficulties. Maryland and Minnesota postponed online sign-ups until midday Tuesday.

Full coverage: Obamacare rolls out

The website for accessing federally run marketplaces froze when some consumers tried to create accounts, the first step in selecting a health plan.

California officials had warned the public for months about the potential for bumps in the road, and much of the concern has centered on the readiness of a $313-million online enrollment system.

Other states, such as Oregon, had said their websites wouldn’t be fully operational Oct. 1. But California officials had plowed ahead and insisted the website would be ready.

A spokesman for Covered California couldn’t be immediately reached for comment.

The glitches could frustrate consumers and hamper early enrollment efforts. Enrollment in the state exchange is open for six months through March 31 and officials don’t expect traffic to pick up until November.

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