Obamacare Snafu Sends Callers to NY Cupcake Shop to Enroll in Exchanges
The latest healthcare.gov snafu involves Americans calling a cupcake shop in New York to find information about health insurance plans under the Affordable Care Act, best known as Obamacare.
Carmen Rodriguez, owner of Brooklyn Cupcake, told The Christian Post in an interview on Wednesday that since Oct. 1, she has received more than 150 calls requesting Obamacare health insurance information.
"We've been getting phone calls and it wasn't until [Tuesday] that we put the pieces together," Rodriguez said.
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The New York Post first reported that Brooklyn Cupcake was listed as a "navigator," where New Yorkers shopping for Obamacare coverage can find assistance.
"In yet another bungle for the botched government insurance rollout, the state Health Department has mistakenly listed numerous non health-related businesses as enrollment sites – including a Brooklyn cupcake shop that has been besieged by callers," the Post reports.
Rodriguez told CP that her company "made an inquiry with the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce" to ensure that they're "compliant" with new rules and regulations under Obamacare.
Once she gave the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce her information, the organization compiled "a list of 10 people for small businesses to be compliant with," that includes authorities small business owners would approach for advice on compliance to Obamacare.
Even though she submitted her information as an applicant, she was listed as a healthcare authority. According to Rodriguez, her contact information "accidentally wound up somewhere else."
Rodriguez, who doesn't have health insurance for herself or her employees, told CP that she's a supporter of Obama's healthcare plan, but has grown skeptical of its ability to fulfill its stated goals.
"I just want to make sure it's the right policy," she said. "We don't have healthcare, so we're looking forward to this to see what's coming down the line."
Giving a plug for her cupcake shop, Rodriguez said, "We're the No. 1 cupcake in New York City, we're just sorry to be stumbled upon this way!"
Rodriguez's story follows a long list of complaints regarding Obamacare's debut on Oct. 1. Reports of significant problems with the website have drawn suspicion, confusion and even humor as the historic law is being implemented.
Late-night comedy show "Saturday Night Live" has aired two skits mocking the healthcare rollout, one with a woman praising Obama because now she "can get sick all the time," and one mocking Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. In the latter, a parody Sebelius says with a smile, "a lot of folks have been talking about our new healthcare enrollment website – how it's been crashing and freezing and shutting down and stalling and not working and breaking and sucking."
One conservative group even went so far as to give an award to the IT company behind the failed website for its efforts to keep young people from signing up for Obamacare coverage.
"We're just so proud of everything that CGI Federal has done to keep young people away from these expensive and creepy ObamaCare exchanges, and we're honored to give them this award," David Pasch, communications director at Generation Opportunity, told The Christian Post. "CGI Federal has created a website that literally no one can use."
