Health care website gets some down time this weekend to fix problems that aggravated consumers + MORE Oct 6th

WASHINGTON – It’s not the sign that the Obama administration wants people to see on its health overhaul website: down for repairs.
Using overnight hours this weekend to debug the system, the Health and Human Service Department hoped to fix the technological problems that overwhelmed the launch of new health insurance markets. Glitches have frustrated millions of consumers unable to complete their applications.
Enrolment functions of the healthcare.gov site will be unavailable during off-peak hours this weekend, HHS said Friday. The department did not release a schedule for hours of operation, but a spokeswoman said the site would be taken down at 1 a.m. EDT each night for a few hours. The website will remain open for general information.
The enrolment function was back online at little before 8 a.m. EDT Saturday, but was working slowly because of heavy traffic.
“Please stay on this page,” said a notice. “We’re working to make the experience better, and we don’t want you to lose your place in line…

Having the benefit of a younger brother and being cognizant of our role in his development, my sister and I saw it fit to make his learning years a game for us. There were the standard forms of adolescent torture – popping out of dark places, hiding things he liked and my sister’s rare ability to turn him into a “girl” with just a few swipes of makeup.
But there was one game that seems to ring true on a universal scale – the “timing” game.
Essentially, we would track on a stopwatch how long it took him to complete certain chores – most of which had been delegated to us – with the reward being the knowledge of how fast he could complete said activity.
Taking The Game Approach To The Street
From a strictly neurological perspective, risk and rewards are vital for adolescent’s development. So it makes sense that telematics auto insurance, which monitors all activity from the driver’s seat, and rewards safe driving with lower premiums, appeals to young drivers…

I met Sam (not his real name) one afternoon at a business event. I was attending the event and he was working at the event’s facility. I intended to briefly step away from the event to make a quick phone call and that’s when I met Sam.  It was one of those conversations that sometimes happen with strangers…sharing details that you would not share with colleagues or neighbours you have known for years. Sam disclosed to me that he was exhausted and unable to see his way clear to a resolution about his wife’s (let’s call her Sue) recent health issue that had left her unable to work.
Sam indicated that both of their salaries were necessary to meet their living expenses. Well into their 50s, they were looking forward to retirement within 10 years. Sam’s job provides competitive health and dental benefits. Sue is self-employed and relies on Sam’s benefits for coverage. This reliance on Sam’s benefit package is at the heart of the issue.  Sue did not have disability insurance coverage…