FIght the website.

1. http://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/nation-world/nation/article/Health-insurance-website-may-take-weeks-to-repair-4912020.php?t=c86dcddc7b
2. Category of problem: Health insurance
3. Level of problem: Federal level
4. The article concerns: The Affordable Care Act's health insurance marketplace is down and people of the United States are unable to sign in and registrar for a health plan.
5. Why is this important to individuals/families OR how does it affect individuals/families?
       --Obama's health insurance marketplace not functioning well effects individuals and families by not allowing them to get coverage. If the problem does not fix soon, then the uninsured individuals and families will have to pay penalties.
6. What are your views on the issue/problem?
       --In general, I think the Affordable Care Act is a good thing. I think that the health insurance marketplace makes picking insurance a lot easier for the first time buyer. It gives someone a place to browse, compare, and buy an insurance plan. People my age are usually on their parents insurance until they turn 26 or if they were to get a job that offered health benefits. Those jobs can be hard to come by right out of college, which in turn leaves young people hung out to dry.
     The glitches that the website is having, I feel like, are part of the normal process. Millions of people are trying to access this website at one time. There were going to be bugs or glitches for sure in the system to start out with. Take Facebook for an example. When Facebook started out is was only for Harvard students. It did not have the amount of popularity or visits like the health insurance marketplace had on October 1st. "Some specialists working on the project said the online system required such extensive repairs that it might not operate smoothly until after the Dec. 15 deadline for people to sign up for coverage starting in January,..." This is going to cause a major problem for individuals and families who are trying hard to get insured and to not have to pay the penalties.
     The conspiracy theorist in me also thinks there could be another reason why the website is having so many problems. Shown by the shutdown, the Republican representatives that are against the Affordable Care Act could have manipulated the site. They could have potentially sabotaged the site before or after the launch.