Originally Posted By EighthDwarf I am a little surprised that no one is talking about how bad the California health exchange site, Covered California, is. For those of you who have not been there, here is a link: https://www.coveredca.com/ I have been trying intermittently for weeks to enroll a family member whose plan is being discontinued in 2014 but many of the links do not work. And, most shockingly, THERE IS NO LINK TO ACTUALLY APPLY OR ENROLL. And even the "Start Here" link on the homepage is a dead link. The "Shop and Compare Tool" also has some bugs. After you input some basic information you get to a page with some basic plan information but all of the links on that page for more information are grayed out. But another page opens up behind that with the ability to drill down deeper on details and costs, but there is no way to enroll from there. Instead, there is a link to "Get contacted for more info" which I completed weeks ago and never heard back. I tried to call them today and was told that the wait time was in excess of 30 minutes so I hung up. Instead, I downloaded a 24-page application packet that I am completing and will snail-mail in. The beauty is they won't let us know the status of the application for up to 45 days and the insurance is expiring in 46 days. I would absolutely refuse to do business with any company that served its customers this way if I had a choice. But I have no choice, I need to get the insurance. If anyone has any tips on how to actually enroll on the site, I would love to hear them. Apparently some people are able to do it (see link below), though I can't for the life of me figure out how. <a target="blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2013/11/14/calif_is_beacon_of_hope_amid_obamacare_fog_120665.html">http://www.realclearpolitics.c...665.html</a>
Originally Posted By hopemax I saw that in a recent press release that 59,000 people have completed sign ups and 370,000 have started applications. No reports in the comments of a Kos Article about it. My first thought is maybe your computer is loading a cached copy of something from a moment in time when it did not work. Have you cleared your temporary internet files? Also, from the Kos Diary is that there is a free App for it. If you have a smart phone. Search for Get Covered (CA) on either Google Play or the iTunes App Store. Searc
Originally Posted By hopemax Okay, I went to the Covered CA site. When I clicked on Start Here, it brought me to a portal page, with Tabs that says: "Learn Preview Plans Apply Maintain It wasn't a dead link for me. When I click on Apply I get a login, which I didn't do because I am not a CA resident and don't need it. Here's the link to the portal in case you don't have it. You may have to cut and paste, depending on how LP renders it. https://v.calheers.ca.gov/apspahbx/ahbxanonym.portal#
Originally Posted By EdisYoda As someone who troubleshoots browsers and websites as part of my job, any number of things could be going on... Cache is corrupt or old and needs clearing. Browser version not supported Java version not supported (and/or Java cache needs clearing) Browser security settings not allowing site actions Anti-vrius settings not allowing site actions Computer may have a virus preventing site actions Pop-Up settings Etc, etc, etc
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt I was able to jump to the home page right away using both Chrome and IE. The "Start Here" link was slow to load in both browsers, however.
Originally Posted By EighthDwarf I cleared my cache, updated Java, used the above link, and still nothing. I am on the web all day every day and this is the only website I am having problems with. It's very irritating. So what is supposed to happen on the website? What happens exactly after you go to the "Start Here" link? Do you see anywhere to actually apply?
Originally Posted By hopemax Please, reread the final things in post 3. Did you cut and paste that link I provided?
Originally Posted By hopemax Okay, now I need to re-read, that you tried the link. Sorry. Yes, there is a very clear Apply option once you click the start here.
Originally Posted By mawnck Just tried it in Safari, on a Mac, which is famous for not playing well with Java. No problems here, up through the name/birthday/SSN page in "set up your account". The "start here" link did the same thing Hopemax described in post 3. Everything loads super-fast, and I'm just on DSL. Don't know what to tell you, other than it appears to be on your end. Try a different computer perhaps?
Originally Posted By EighthDwarf Ok, I figured it out. Apparently I had to adjust avanced settings in my browser (IE). I had to make sure that the boxes next to "Use TLS 1.0", "Use TLS 1.1", and "Use TLS 1.2" were checked. I figured this out by doing several different google searches and finally found this page. <a target="blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://insuremekevin.com/2013/10/26/tips-tricks-make-covered-california-website-work/">http://insuremekevin.com/2013/...te-work/</a> I have to believe checking the above boxes is not a default setting so I wish Covered CA had something on their website about which browser settings need to be changed to get the site to work. I'll run through it to see if I can actually buy some insurance.
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt Yes. I'm always surprised when I hear that people still use it.
Originally Posted By SuperDry I was reading an interesting article about "big data" recently. One issue is how this might be used to screen job applicants. Take for example a job where applicants must apply online. One study showed that for many different types of jobs, candidates that used IE to fill out the application performed less well on average than those that used another browser, all other things being equal. That's not to say that you'd only hire non-IE users, or that you'd not hire an IE user, but if all other things about two particular candidates were equal, hiring the non-IE user will on average result in the better worker being hired. There are a variety of reasons why this is true, and the jist of the article is just how far we are going to take factiods like this into account when deciding to hire, to insure, or what not. And how fair is it to the people affected, especially if it's not disclosed to them what the criteria are?
Originally Posted By EighthDwarf "Friends don't let friends use IE. Download Chrome." LOL. I guess I am a technological dinosaur. After that fix, I went through the site and, you know what? It couldn't have been easier. I am still a ittle bitter about the increased cost but I can afford it and I am glad if people that couldn't get coverage before get it now. The existing system sucks, Obamacare fixes a couple things, but there is still a lot more to do. Let's not settle....
Originally Posted By fkurucz >>Download Chrome.<< No thanks, I like to avoid privacy invading google as much as possible. Firefox serves me nicely.
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt "I was reading an interesting article about "big data" recently. One issue is how this might be used to screen job applicants." An HR person at a tech firm once told me that she immediately disqualifies any applicant with an AOL or yahoo.com email address.
Originally Posted By ecdc >>I was reading an interesting article about "big data" recently.<< Link? I'd love to read this....
Originally Posted By fkurucz >>An HR person at a tech firm once told me that she immediately disqualifies any applicant with an AOL or yahoo.com email address.<< Did she say why? I have heard that having a "cute" email address on your resume is considered unprofessional, but I've never heard of a mainstream email provider being a demerit.
Originally Posted By mawnck >>a mainstream email provider << Those are lowest common denominator email providers, as well as being grossly outdated. No one with any tech savvy would use one, plus they out you as being an "old". Hence, unattractive to a tech company.
Originally Posted By Dabob2 If all you do is get your email through them, why is that? Why is a gmail address considered better/cooler/whatever-er than yahoo or aol? All allow you basic email functions - send, receive, download, upload - and one could argue the some allow greater privacy that google allows. So what's the deal? Is it just snobbishness? Are there functions some email providers provide that the older ones don't (that can't be accessed elsewhere)? Is there something yet hipper and more private than gmail that I don't know about (entirely possible)?
