Accessing the site was fairly easy, but once I was inside,
shopping was confusing. Clicking “Find a Doctor” opened a new window, as did
“Compare by Medication”. Directions for people with more questions was “click
QUESTIONS in your left nav bar” but the actual button says FAQ. Then, when you
dig into the myriad of plans available, (maybe 50 or more) they are spaced out
alot vertically, so not enough fit on the screen and you have to scroll really
far just to click on which ones to compare. You can only see three choices at a
time because of excessive white space in each plan’s box.The site only lets you
pick three, so you have to weed through dozens of plans only comparing three at
a time.
I made it part of the way through signing up, but we’re
short on class time. I was unable to make the site crash, but I found the
layout kind of loose and unclear.
I’ve read articles and heard interviews about the site being
problematic as traffic chokes it, and people aren’t able to join or log in. It
seems like the design was never tested. If EBAY
or AMAZON can show me hundreds of items to shop through, and offer such
vast search options and views to compare items or get more info, it’s hard to
believe choosing your all-important healthcare plan couldn’t be approached with
the same eye to customer navigation.
It feels like a case of “they meant well” but did not take
the proper steps to prepare for the launch, like beta testing design and
layout, as well as being prepared for the kind of traffic a statewide
government program would attract.
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