Election-Economists' Advic.JPG

President Barack Obama, submitting a trouble ticket with IT to get healthcare.gov working.

(AP Photo/Ron Edmonds, File)

Editor's note: We have obtained secret email transmissions between President Barack Obama and IT experts at Health and Human Services regarding fixes to healthcare.gov. They provide an unnerving glimpse into the dark world of government information services and tech support. We can't say how we got them, so don't ask.

From: Barack Obama

Sent: 10/01/2013 8:54 AM

To: HHS system issues

Subject: Site Doesn't Work!!!!

The (heathcare.com) website has been too slow. People have been getting stuck during the application process. And I think it's fair to say that nobody is more frustrated by that than I am, because - precisely because the product is good, I want the cash registers to work, I want the checkout lines to be smooth. So I want people to be able to get this great product.

Barack Obama

From: HHS system_issues

Sent: 10/01/2013 9:54 AM

To: Barack Obama

Subject: New Work Order 27912, Site Doesn't Work!!!!

Dear Barack Obama,

Work order number 27912, has been created for Site Doesn't Work!!!! on Tuesday, October 1, 2013 9:52:09 AM.

Please do not reply to this e-mail as it is an automated notification. A technician will contact you regarding the status of this ticket.

From: Barack Obama

Sent: 10/20/2013 9:55 AM

To: HHS system issues

Subject: Re: Site Doesn't Work!!!!

There's no excuse for the problems. Nobody's madder than me about the fact that the website isn't working as well as it should, which means it's going to get fixed.

Barack Obama

From: Health and Human Services Technology Support [mailto:messedupsite@hhs.gov]

Sent: 10/21/2013 11:14 AM

To: bobama@whitehouse.gov

Cc: esnowden@nsa.gov

Subject: [TR #27912]: Site Doesn't Work!!!!

We are looking into it per the below troublereview:

• Todd Park, administration technology chief

APPLICATION: Healthcare.gov / Sign up

TIME OF TROUBLE: 11:00AM ET - Present

DESCRIPTION: Users are unable to sign in to the site or enroll in insurance plans across all the country even though we promised they could.

CURRENT STATUS: The Technology Support team has escalated this issue to the project managers.

RESOLUTION/NEXT STEPS: We will provide more updates when they become available.

From: bobama@whitehouse.gov

Sent: 10/22/2013 11:15 AM

To: mailto:messedupsite@hhs.gov

Cc: esnowden@nsa.gov

Subject: RE: [TR #27912]: Site Doesn't Work!!!!

Todd,

Yes, the website really stank for the first week.

With the website not working as well as it needs to work, that makes a lot of supporters nervous. But we did not wage this long and contentious battle just around a website. That's not what this was about.

Barack Obama

From: Health and Human Services Technology Support [mailto:messedupsite@hhs.gov]

Sent: 10/23/2013 12:14 PM

To: bobama@whitehouse.gov

Cc: esnowden@nsa.gov

Subject: [TR #27912]: Site Doesn't Work!!!!

Dear Barack Obama,

We have escalated your ticket [TR #27912] to the developers. Your request is in our troublereview queue and will be addressed as soon as possible.

What browser are you using? There are known issues with Internet Explorer.

Todd

From: bobama@whitehouse.gov

Sent: 11/06/2013 11:15 AM

To: mailto:messedupsite@hhs.gov

Cc: esnowden@nsa.gov

Subject: RE: [TR #27912]: Site Doesn't Work!!!!

Todd,

We are working every single day, 24/7, to improve it. And it's better now than it was last week. And it's certainly a lot better than it was on October 1st.

I'm confident that it will be even better by November 30th and that the majority of people are going to be able to get on there. They're going to be able to enroll. They're going to be able to apply. And they're going to get a good deal-- a better deal than they've got right now when it comes to buying health insurance.

Now that-- you know, having said that-- given that I've been burned already with-- a website-- well, more importantly, the American people have been burned by-- a website that has been dysfunctional.

Barack Obama

From: Health and Human Services Technology Support [mailto:messedupsite@hhs.gov]

Sent: 11/07/2013 15:14 PM

To: bobama@whitehouse.gov

Cc: esnowden@nsa.gov

Subject: Re: Re: [TR #27912]: Site Doesn't Work!!!!

Dear Barack Obama,

Our developers say they have discovered that a transmuted policy platform indicator which was set up to continue users' current insurance policies (Per Your Instructions) but it's conflicting with the actual law. Developers have ignored your earlier promise and are proceeding to fix the glitch.

Closing ticket.

Todd

From: Health and Human Services Technology Support [mailto:messedupsite@hhs.gov]

Sent: 11/13/2013 08:14 PM

To: bobama@whitehouse.gov

Cc: esnowden@nsa.gov

Subject: Re: Re: Re: [TR #27912]: Site Doesn't Work!!!!

Dear Barack Obama,

We see that former President Bill Clinton has said people should be allowed to keep their current policies.

Per resolution of [TR #27912] -- is this still a problem?

Todd