Review: HealthCare.Gov

december 5th, 2013.

To my brothers and sisters out there qualifying for subsidized health care and-or must deal with a HealthCare.gov application,

IF you can get through all the initial application pages without server errors and

IF you click on the correct sequence of links such that you're not summarily logged out and kicked back to the homepage and

IF you are undeterred by the giant red CORRECT PROBLEMS WITH YOUR APPLICATION message which, later, when you call customer service you find out “isn't supposed to be there” and

IF you at last get to the Compare Health Plans screen then

YES, HealthCare.Gov is as simple to use as Kayak, and fun. And an awesome, intuitive interface. If you get there.

Also, having called many customer service centers in the last month—and a review of my epic experience with GAP customer service and their insistence on sending me maternity clothes, still to come—the HealthCare.gov customer service center was awesome. I was on hold for less than a minute, and I spoke with someone smart, patient, and friendly.

Weirdly, I didn't realize until yesterday reading a brochure in my therapist's waiting room JUST HOW MUCH coverage is now required. It's like the series of revelations I've had about my one employment experience at an organization that really invested in its employees: “man ... remembering working at a place that paid for snacks? Like, really good snacks? Fresh berries, and fancy cheeses, and great bread? And a fitness plan? And retirement? And dental? And no meeting was allowed to go over one hour? It was like a socialist worker's paradise up in!”

Former quality of life indicator: workplace shenanigans.