Healthcare.gov, US insurance marketplace which opened today, is snagged by technical problems

At NYTimes.com: "On Tuesday morning, people trying to shop for coverage at healthcare.gov, the federally run exchange that serves as the marketplace for residents of most states, met with messages citing high traffic and advising, "Please wait here until we send you to the login page" or "The system is down at the moment." A state-run exchange in Maryland also posted a message saying it was "experiencing connectivity issues" and asking visitors to try again later. Other states reported scattered problems."

The Affordable Care Act isn't perfect. And the websites aren't perfect. But hey, it's a start. And on a day when much of the federal government is shut down, no less.

John Hodgman retweeted a bunch of personal tales of people who thought they were "immortal" until a major health care challenge struck them. Read his thoughts about why the Affordable Care Act is really great for people who don't think they're at-risk.

I am excited to see this go live because more Americans like me who have cancer, and didn't expect to, are more likely to be able to access quality screening, treatment, and post-treatment followup care today.