CMS Chief: Healthcare.gov ‘Failed Millions’

Acting Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services administrator Andy Slavitt has acknowledged that Healthcare.gov, the platform through which previously uninsured Americans have accessed coverage under the Affordable Care Act (ACA, or “Obamacare”), has “failed millions” since its launch more than 2 years ago. While he claims inherent problems in the system have been fixed, he says he recognizes the consequences of clunky EHR systems, low reimbursements, burnout, and various compliance requirements for primary care providers—consequences that could be catastrophic for the healthcare system. “If we don’t invest in primary care, we’ll invest double or triple when people get unnecessarily sick,” Slavitt told an audience at Health Datapalooza in Washington, DC. Slavitt’s admissions further highlight the value of urgent care in providing care that is less expensive than the emergency room and more accessible than a traditional primary care practice.