Obamacare in prespective

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11 years 2 weeks ago - 11 years 2 weeks ago #32851 by OleCowboy
Replied by OleCowboy on topic Obamacare in prespective
How much of a disaster can a website be? Well Obama and team have taken failure to new levels. OBc in a word:
Omnishambles
noun
British informal
• "a situation that has been comprehensively mismanaged, characterized by a string of blunders and miscalculations"

In the military we use the term: FUBAR (Fouled Up Beyond All Recognition)

There are 2 sides to this coin when viewed from the vantage point of a software engineer (which I am):

1) The front end which is the website: Originally its capacity was only 6500 on at a time and now I understand it has been raised to 50,000 concurrent users. On Thanksgiving day, Wal Mart's website had over 400 Million page views, yes 400 Million! Facebook with almost a billion users serves up to 3 million concurrent users, E bay, Amazon all serve millions concurrent users with rarely an issue in data or personal information security.

When we build a website one of the first questions asked is what is the expected usage rates, daily, surge, weekend etc. This tells us how to size the server array to support requirements. In the case of OBc its evident not a single person knew or even had the basic understanding of how to launch a website.

Building and launching a website today is not difficult and can be done by most high school students. In 1997 I led the development of a retail website that we launched with 12 million users on day 1 and we never had an issue. That website was named to InformationWeek’s All Time Top 5 Websites, May 2000. Another implementation I led the development on was the electronic ticketing for United Airlines. It launched with out failure on time and on budget. Again a challenge due to users, security and other requirements but my team did correctly and we had success.

The company and the government share the blame for this epic failure. It might be noted that the govt. has a very long track record of Information Technology failures. In many cases the project is just killed and the all too often $1Billion dollar investment is just buried in the Trillion dollar govt budget. I personally know of two at that level that failed.

2) The back end which is the application software: There are 500 Million lines of code, this is a staggering amount of code and it too is clearly broken. Major software implementations at the commercial level can run as much as 50 million lines of code. It is evident to me that this software was cobbled together from the start. I would also suggest that basic software development methodology was never followed. We have many major web based software implementations (E bay, Amazon, Facebook, Wal Mart, Craigslist) that receive millions of visitors per day and often are buying products, using credit cards and market baskets all which works almost 100% of the time. Comparing OBc to other sites is like comparing a garbage truck to a Ferrari, a mud fence to a supermodel, take away is only failure now and in the future.

Trying to fix broken software is always a challenge. I know of no software that is glitch free at some point in time and in use more and more issues crop up, thus we release new versions. Every time Microsoft releases a new operating system it follows up with 'patches'. Trying to patch a software application with 500 million lines of codes is a near impossibility. In our world of programing we always ask one question when writing code. 'What happens next?' Every line of code interacts with one or more other lines of code. Its truly building a house of dominoes. Let one line fail and it has the potential to bring down the entire system and wreck havoc throughout. The chances of patching up 500 million lines of code are near non-existent. The more you fix the more its broke.

Costs will creep beyond $1 Billion to get is somewhat stable and usable for more than a few. What they are not telling you. If you think the development costs were high the you have a shock coming. "Out-year costing" (OYC). OYC is 5x to as much as 15x as expensive as the development cost. The reason for this is requirements are continually changing, thus software has to be 'tweaked', patches written and the longer and older the software stays in place the more cost goes up. This is shaping up to be the most expensive software development and implementation in history and will be a model for failure and how to do it wrong.

Lastly the question of security of your personal data: From a hackers viewpoint it’s a buffet. That said that is far from a worry whether or not someone has hacked and has your personal info. While I fear hackers and you should, I fear our government even more. Now the govt. has all your data and access to your most personal medical information. If OBc is allowed to stand, this information will come to deicide our future medical care and life.

OBc is managed by the IPAB (Independent Payment Advisory Board) aka 'death panels, a group of 15 appointed people that will control healthcare for We the People. While they supposedly cannot ration healthcare, they can make a decision to manage the amount they pay for people and procedures. This means they can pay less for someone older who has cancer or other life threatening disease. Your life and health of your and your family is in the hands of someone other than you, your family and your doctor.

A year from now we will use a new term in describing Obc and I will call upon my military background again: SNAFU (Situation Normal All Fouled Up)
Last edit: 11 years 2 weeks ago by OleCowboy.
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11 years 2 weeks ago - 11 years 2 weeks ago #32856 by Libertarian623
Replied by Libertarian623 on topic Obamacare in prespective
Cowboy- I respect your opinion on this greatly. I would point out that currently in the united states there are already two completely different systems, even though I have great insurance, I can tell you for certain that I do not get the benefit of the entire healthcare system. Regardless of what we would like there are a lot of limitations. Also there are lifetime limits that are reached all the time and then the person was just dropped (even though they paid in to the plan as agreed upon)ie the corporation (death board)decided they where to big a liability. So a lot of what you describe already has been in existence for probably 20 years, just white washed through good marketing. I can be a whole lot more specific.
Another issue is the current not (death board) but the pension death board. Right now the government and corporate America a deciding how much of our money they are going to allow us to keep, on this issue I will not personally compromise and have drawn a very specific line in the sand( hope nobody crosses it. As far as I am concerned I have given my entire adult life to government service ( for god and country ) deals where struck and agreements made and they will be honored. FULL STOP.
Last edit: 11 years 2 weeks ago by Libertarian623.

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11 years 2 weeks ago #32869 by OleCowboy
Replied by OleCowboy on topic Obamacare in prespective
Lib, if the govt HONESTLY wanted to provide better healthcare to we the people then its easy. The govt(s) regulate the ins business in detail. So if the goal was better medical then why did they NOT do this:

1) Ins sold across state lines

2) No pre existing conditions

3) Move from one insurer to the next no lapse in coverage

4) No individual rates, everyone can qualify for a group rate

5) No termination of policy for any reason except non payment, then only after 90 days

6) [this is where the govt steps in] Catastrophic ins is provided by the govt and is a tax included in your tax payments just like SS. This pays over and above for extreme illness, cancer treatments for example. No one is denied and all pay. We do this with govt FLOOD ins.

All congress has to do is undo the stupid laws they passed that created the mess...

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11 years 2 weeks ago #32871 by jtallen83
Replied by jtallen83 on topic Obamacare in prespective

OleCowboy wrote: Lib, if the govt HONESTLY wanted to provide better healthcare to we the people then its easy. The govt(s) regulate the ins business in detail. So if the goal was better medical then why did they NOT do this:

1) Ins sold across state lines

2) No pre existing conditions

3) Move from one insurer to the next no lapse in coverage

4) No individual rates, everyone can qualify for a group rate

5) No termination of policy for any reason except non payment, then only after 90 days

6) [this is where the govt steps in] Catastrophic ins is provided by the govt and is a tax included in your tax payments just like SS. This pays over and above for extreme illness, cancer treatments for example. No one is denied and all pay. We do this with govt FLOOD ins.

All congress has to do is undo the stupid laws they passed that created the mess...


Sounds good on the surface but your still asking government to work in a fair and efficient manner, history shows this is not going to happen. :naughty:
Look at our history, Americas movement forward as a great power has slowed the more we rely on insurance (big business) and government. Flood insurance is a perfect example, most of the resources go to rebuild the homes of the wealthy where they shouldn't have built in the first place and most likely wouldn't have if they didn't know the taxpayers would stand behind their poor choice. Smaller government and local communities taking care of their own is the only way, personal responsibility is the key to a healthy society! :usa:
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11 years 2 weeks ago #32875 by OleCowboy
Replied by OleCowboy on topic Obamacare in prespective

jtallen83 wrote:

OleCowboy wrote: Lib, if the govt HONESTLY wanted to provide better healthcare to we the people then its easy. The govt(s) regulate the ins business in detail. So if the goal was better medical then why did they NOT do this:

1) Ins sold across state lines

2) No pre existing conditions

3) Move from one insurer to the next no lapse in coverage

4) No individual rates, everyone can qualify for a group rate

5) No termination of policy for any reason except non payment, then only after 90 days

6) [this is where the govt steps in] Catastrophic ins is provided by the govt and is a tax included in your tax payments just like SS. This pays over and above for extreme illness, cancer treatments for example. No one is denied and all pay. We do this with govt FLOOD ins.

All congress has to do is undo the stupid laws they passed that created the mess...


Sounds good on the surface but your still asking government to work in a fair and efficient manner, history shows this is not going to happen. :naughty:
Look at our history, Americas movement forward as a great power has slowed the more we rely on insurance (big business) and government. Flood insurance is a perfect example, most of the resources go to rebuild the homes of the wealthy where they shouldn't have built in the first place and most likely wouldn't have if they didn't know the taxpayers would stand behind their poor choice. Smaller government and local communities taking care of their own is the only way, personal responsibility is the key to a healthy society! :usa:


You are right about that, but the only way to achieve catastrophic in protection for we the people is to make it nonprofit and apply to all and all pay into it...this would protect you and your family from going bankrupt trying to pay bills. And in this casee all the govt does is collect the money and pay it out.

As for the flood ins, well you are dead on there. I have friends who own a place on the Outer Banks of NC. The home is ON the ocean, 3 times they have had there home rebuilt from the ground up...they are not rich, but in fact both of them work for the govt in DC...

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11 years 2 weeks ago #32877 by Libertarian623
Replied by Libertarian623 on topic Obamacare in prespective
JT -I see this progressing down that road of more local responsibility, like Massachusetts, and a couple others.

Cowboy- I think in the end Texas may be one of the leading states in implementing these kinds of changes. When it makes cents to big business it will progress rapidly.

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11 years 2 weeks ago #32880 by OleCowboy
Replied by OleCowboy on topic Obamacare in prespective

Libertarian623 wrote: JT -I see this progressing down that road of more local responsibility, like Massachusetts, and a couple others.

Cowboy- I think in the end Texas may be one of the leading states in implementing these kinds of changes. When it makes cents to big business it will progress rapidly.


Lib, I can think of only a very small handful of things that cannot be done better by capitalism.

Anyone want to show a major federal program that is effective and cost effective at the same time. History has shown the bigger the program the better the chance of failure by govt.

Post Office

Amtrack

Welfare

Food Stamps

Medicare/Medicaid

IRS/Income Taxes

Obama Phone


PICK ANY program since WWII and you will find a trail of failure in which NO ONE has EVER been held accountable. The govt solution is to just hire more people and throw more money to it.

Around 1980 Carter established the Dept of Energy with the mission of creating a energy policy for America...its 2014, $25 Billion budget, thousands of employees and as of today they have not fulfilled their mission.

Section 8 Housing

Every one of these in the $billions, yet no one even held responsible, just hire more and increase budget.

If you believe Obamacare is gonna work I will bet you $$$$$ to your donuts, I am, will give 10:1 odds
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11 years 2 weeks ago #32881 by jtallen83
Replied by jtallen83 on topic Obamacare in prespective
You're being very generous with 10:1 odds, I'm thinking it is closer to 100:1 if that. The moon shot is about all I can think of as far as succesful government programs in the last 50 years......

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11 years 2 weeks ago #32892 by MrMarty51
Replied by MrMarty51 on topic Obamacare in prespective
Before emails an innernet, the Postal Service was in the black, so far in the black that corngress pulled millions from it instead of allowing them to keep and upgrade.
I do`nt rememer what years it was but I do remember reading about it.
The postal service at that time was "THE ONLY" gubment porgram whut was actually self supporting.

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11 years 2 weeks ago #32893 by MrMarty51
Replied by MrMarty51 on topic Obamacare in prespective
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