Obamacare agency relies on manual back-ups as enrollment rises

By David Morgan WASHINGTON (Reuters) – As online enrollment accelerates for medical insurance under President Barack Obama’s health law, the government is relying on manual back-up systems to correct computer errors that could leave some enrollees uninsured, the top U.S. health official said on Wednesday. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius described the manual procedure as a temporary measure for software applications that have not yet been built, tested and incorporated into the massive system behind the HealthCare.gov website. But in the meantime, the payment system will absolutely go forward.” The admission appeared to weigh on Sebelius’ attempts to tout improvements in the website that was established under the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, commonly called Obamacare. The site provides access to new federal health insurance marketplaces in 36 states.