By Gabriella Schwarz
(CNN) — President Barack Obama on Tuesday expressed disappointment with glitches in the Obamacare website, more than two weeks after the launch of HealthCare.gov.
“I am the first to acknowledge that the website that was supposed to do this all in a seamless way has had way more glitches than I think are acceptable and we’ve got people working around the clock to do that,” Obama told KCCI, a CNN affiliate in Des Moines, Iowa. “We’ve seen some significant progress but until it’s 100% I’m not going to be satisfied.”
A high volume of visitors to the health insurance exchange portal contributed to the technical problems that have plagued the website, making it more difficult for individuals to begin the enrollment process.
Despite the consistent problems, the president touted the health care law, saying it enables those seeking coverage to purchase private insurance, compare the prices of different plans and receive a tax credit to make it affordable.
“The product itself is actually really good but we have to make sure that the cash register works and that the lines aren’t too long when people are checking in and checking out,” Obama said.
The president has insisted he will not negotiate over the law as part of discussions currently underway to reopen the government and increase the debt ceiling before the Thursday deadline. But in Tuesday’s interview, the president also reiterated his willingness to improve parts of the law in the future as long as those who are now eligible for coverage are not turned away.
“We’re going to make sure that those folks will be able to get coverage,” Obama said. “We’re not going to send them to the emergency room.”
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