“How Could You?!”

Maryland Sounds Off on Flawed ObamaCare Website

Moments after the Maryland Health Connection website launched on Oct. 1, 2013, the complaints from frustrated Maryland residents having a hard time signing up for health coverage started pouring in.

Their comments, submitted through a feedback form at MarylandHealthConnection.gov and obtained by Capital News Service through a Public Information Act request, offer a first-hand look at the problems the public faced using the flawed website.

Of 4,227 comments submitted between Oct. 1, 2013 and Dec. 12, 2013, only 15 offered praise to the site, according to a Capital News Service analysis of the comments (Read the story). The Maryland Health Benefit Exchange board voted April 1 to scrap the current website and rebuild it with technology from Connecticut’s online insurance marketplace.

A Dramatic Reading of Selected Maryland Health Connection Comments

Capital News Service reporters read a selection of verbatim comments left by users of MarylandHealthConnection.gov. The comments have not been edited and contain misspellings, poor grammar and redacted profanity.

Maryland Health Connection Comments Explorer

Between Oct. 1, 2013 and Dec. 12, 2013, users of the Maryland Health Connection website submitted nearly 4,227 comments using the online feedback form. Only 15 were positive, according to a Capital News Service analysis. Use this tool to find random comments submitted by users. Download the full PDF of all the comments. All comments are verbatim and may contain profanity, misspelled words, racist language and poor grammar.

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Curated Maryland Health Connection Comments

Capital News Service reporters combed through 4,227 comments submitted between Oct. 1, 2013 and Dec. 12, 2013 and curated some of the more memorable entries. These comments may contain profanity, misspelled words, racist language and poor grammar.

Can You Use That Word in a Sentence, Please?

• "were you sine up fo dis sysem, deys no button tu signsup"

• "Your site fucks"
• "Y'all cant run goverment for shit."

It's a Red Scare!

• "What a crock!!! Socialisim!!!"
• "what a piece of crap you commies had 4 years and 23 millon bucks to build this, where did the money go????"
• "so as working American,does this mean I'll be paying more in taxes to provide health insurance to to illegal immigrants and provide free birth control to the in moral young people of this once great country??"

Who Knew Cher Needed Health Care in Maryland?

• "I do not have a first and middle name. My whole, full, complete, and legal name consists of one word. Your form will not accommodate my name. I cannot use it. Why in the world would you insist on a middle name when not everyone has one? In my case, I don't have a middle name or a first name. I am unable to register because of your form. How unnecessarily frustrating! Why don't you let people input their names in one name from field? Design the form and the database to accommodate non-standard names."

It's an Obama-nation!

• "… Obama you suck!!! You're the worst thing that could've happened to this country. Go back to Kenya you baboon!"
• "Fuck Obama! and the democrat scum of the earth! I will NEVER JOIN!"
• "FEEL SORRY FOR YOU GUYS TRYING TO SET UP THIS. THIS IS ABOUT THE WORST AND HARDEST THING I HAVE EVER DONE. DON'T LIKE TO CALL THE PRESIDENT AN IDIOT; SO I WILL CALL HIM AN ASSHOLE."

ObamaCare-less

• "It's been 12 hours. Really? Of course this form works though. Totally wanted my ObamaCare today.! am a little disappointed :-( #governmentshutdown That's right, I used a hashtag up in here. See you tomorrow. Sleep tight."
• "you suck just like Obamacare"
• "Obamacare is a disaster!!!!!!!!!!"

You're Fired!

• "Maryland my maryland you failed me... some contractor needs to be fired. repubs are trying to kill obamacare and you are helping them by not having your act together. I fucking give up. and I need health insurance."
• "...This is ridiculous, whoever designed this site should be FIRED IMMEDIATELY!!!..."
• "Everyone involved in creating this piece of shit website should be both embarrassed and fired"

Too Busy to Write More than One Word?

• "unusable :("
• "HORRIBLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
• "pitiful"
• "yuck"
• "Really?"

So, Tell Us How You Really Feel.

• "!? How could you?!"
• "This site sucks!! PERIOD."
• "...THIS SITE SUCKS BALLS!!"
• "You should be ashamed to inflict this crap on the public…"

It's All O'Malley's Fault.

• "Dudes... Keep O'malley away from the site decisions, he is apparently a fucking idiot."
• "… I would like to see o'malley provide a demonstration of this web site!!!! obama and o'malley should be embarrassed! walk the talk!!!!!!"

Because One Exclamation Point Isn't Enough.

• "The whole Affordable Care Act WON'T WORK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
• "… EXTREMELY FRUSTRATED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ! @#$%'&'1L +II'&$%#@" &IU+ )&I •u$u@@! @%'%'& '1'0#$%$'& '0"
• "What a bunch of incompetent bureaucrats you have turned out to be!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?!

• "...GRRRRRRRR"
• "WHAT A FRIGGING NIGHTMARE, THIS IS A JOKE!!"
• "I AM NOT AN ILLEGAL ALIEN. I AM A AMERICAN CITIZEN AND I NEED SOME FREAKING INSURANCE YOU JERKS. STOP TELLING ME MY SSN IS INVALID!!!!"

Sticks and Stones May Break My Bones, but Words Can Never Hurt Me.

• "how do we delay this train wreck a year so you knuckleheads can get your act together?"
• "... I could implement a better site by myself in my sleep."
• "… par for the course for another government boondoggle."

Thank You, I'll be in Maryland All Week!

• "I hope I don’t get sick while waiting for the website"
• "Clearly, there's a gremlin in the system that's preventing me from moving to the next page."
• "there is no information no data no plans listed not costs no coverage detail. Nothing .. this is OZ ... there is no wizard, this is crap."
• "I wanted to rail on with some sarcastic comments about what a failure the signup is but you already know that. I'm embarrassed for you…"

Desperate Times Call for Desperate Measures.

• "THIS IS SO SAD FOR PRESIDENT OBAMA. THIS IS . BIGGER THAN JUST LITTLE OLD ME ... THIS IS ROCKING THE WHOLE COUNTRY. TEA BAGGERS ARE THROWING PARTIES. HOW DID YOU LET THIS HAPPEN. 'I'M ON YOUR SIDE AND DON'T WANT TO HURT ANYONE IN THIS FIASCO ... PLEASE HELP ME WITH ADVICE."
• "… My wife is literally yelling at me because I have not checked out prices yet, but I can't because I can't even get started! Please fix this piece of shit before I have a meltdown!"
• "I am pulling my own hair out. Where are the PLANS?"

Disappointed Mom Says You're Grounded!

• "This is truly an embarrassment"
• "… Shame. Shame. Shame."
• "How tragically embarrassing for you... Just pitiful! … very disappointing!!"

Professional Web Developers Weigh in.

• "This is one of the worst sites I've ever used and I built sites for 15 years... Who built this, Tea Party saboteurs?"
• "I have written software for 25 years and have rarely seen a worse implementation … Seriously did you take the lowest bidder or did they just pay off the right people?"
• "As a MD web developer, that's not cool to see :("

#Humblebrag

• "… l have a PhD and have managed an IT department, so if I can't make your site work, you've done an incredibly crummy job."
• "By the way, I'm very computer literate and have a PhD. You are idiots."
• "l am very computer savvy, a PhD in Biology (although unemployed for 2 years ... am 61 and not getting hired) and I Know Computers."

Did You Visit the Same Health Care Website?

• "I was just "taking a peek"/ COngraulations on a nice site.! did not fully explore it. I am so proud to live in a state that is doing its best to get health insurance to everyone."
• "… The site was very easy to use. Thank you."
• "Still couldn't get in. Sent me to a porn site from sign in screen"

So Easy, a Kid Can Do It.

• "... I've seen better websites designed by high schoolers…"
• "… A HIGH SCHOOL COMPUTER KID COULD FIX THIS. WHO IS RUNNING THIS THING?... Do you WANT people to sign up for this?"
• "Truly horrible website. Unable to do anything. Errors aplenty. Who is working on this, some high school student??"

Are You Laughing at Me?

• "Are you going to publicize the feedback responses? I doubt it."
• "... Does anyone read this?"
• " ...You are probably laughing at me, but you should be ashamed of yourselves. This is why so many have no faith in the state or federal government."

You're Beautiful, but...

• "Pretty Colors, but where are the plans?"
• "Beautiful site. Just not functional…"
• "The website doesn't actually do anything. I thought I'd see plans and prices, but it's a pretty website with a FAQ. I hope we didn't pay too much for this."