| Recurring |
one_organization |
(a) The software failure incident has happened again at one_organization:
The software failure incident in Maryland's online health insurance exchange involved flaws that hindered thousands of Marylanders seeking coverage. The exchange's governing board fired the lead contractor, Noridian Healthcare Solutions, and state officials mentioned the possibility of suing or penalizing Noridian and other firms involved in the project [24834].
(b) The software failure incident has happened again at multiple_organization:
There is no information in the provided article to suggest that a similar software failure incident has happened at other organizations or with their products and services. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
design, operation |
(a) The software failure incident in Maryland's online health insurance exchange was primarily due to issues related to the design phase of the system development. The decision to build the complex online exchange on a tight deadline was considered a "high-risk undertaking" from the outset. Maryland made the process more challenging by trying to add features like a Medicaid renewal function to the health insurance marketplace, which contributed to the problems faced by the system [24834].
(b) Additionally, the software failure incident also involved issues related to the operation phase of the system. Problems such as incorrect eligibility determinations, difficulties in choosing managed care organizations, and challenges in sending enrollment data to the federal Medicaid hub were highlighted as operational issues faced by Medicaid applicants using the system. These operational challenges added to the overall failure of the system [24834]. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system |
(a) within_system: The software failure incident in Maryland's online health insurance exchange was primarily due to factors originating from within the system. The decision to build the complex online exchange on a tight deadline and the attempt to add features like a Medicaid renewal function made the process more challenging [24834]. Additionally, the system had issues such as the inability to identify Medicaid recipients who should be removed from the rolls due to increased income, incorrect eligibility determinations for Medicaid applicants, difficulties in choosing managed care organizations, and challenges in sending enrollment data to the federal Medicaid hub [24834]. These internal system issues contributed to the failure of the online health insurance exchange in Maryland. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) |
non-human_actions, human_actions |
(a) The software failure incident in Maryland's online health insurance exchange was primarily due to non-human actions, such as flaws in the system itself. The system had issues like the inability to identify Medicaid recipients who should be removed from the rolls due to increased income, incorrect eligibility determinations, difficulties in choosing managed care organizations, and challenges in sending enrollment data to the federal Medicaid hub [24834].
(b) Human actions also played a role in the software failure incident. Maryland's decision to build the complex online exchange on a tight deadline and trying to add features like a Medicaid renewal function to the health insurance marketplace were considered high-risk undertakings. Additionally, the exchange's governing board fired the lead contractor, Noridian Healthcare Solutions, indicating issues with the contractor's performance [24834]. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
software |
(a) The software failure incident in Maryland's online health insurance exchange was primarily due to software issues rather than hardware. The articles mention problems such as the system's inability to identify Medicaid recipients with increased income, incorrect eligibility determinations, difficulties in choosing managed care organizations, and challenges in sending enrollment data to the federal Medicaid hub. These issues point to software-related flaws in the system [24834].
(b) The software failure incident in Maryland's online health insurance exchange was primarily attributed to software issues. The articles highlight problems like incorrect eligibility determinations, difficulties in choosing managed care organizations, challenges in sending enrollment data, and the system's inability to identify Medicaid recipients with increased income. These issues indicate that the failure originated from software-related factors rather than hardware [24834]. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
non-malicious |
(a) The software failure incident in Maryland's online health insurance exchange was non-malicious. The failure was attributed to flaws in the system, such as the inability to identify Medicaid recipients who should be removed from the rolls due to increased income, incorrect eligibility determinations, difficulties in choosing managed care organizations, and challenges in sending enrollment data to the federal Medicaid hub [24834]. The issues were a result of high-risk undertakings, tight deadlines, and attempts to add complex features to the system, rather than any malicious intent to harm the system. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
poor_decisions |
(a) The software failure incident in Maryland's online health insurance exchange was primarily due to poor decisions. The decision to build the complex online exchange on a tight deadline was described as a "high-risk undertaking" from the outset. Maryland made the process more challenging by trying to add features like a Medicaid renewal function to the health insurance marketplace, which increased the complexity and risk of the project [24834]. Additionally, the report highlighted that officials must decide quickly on five options to address the broken health exchange, including fixing the system, developing a new one, adopting successful technology from other states, joining a multistate consortium, or using the federal marketplace [24834]. These decisions reflect the poor planning and execution that led to the software failure incident. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
development_incompetence, accidental |
(a) The software failure incident in Maryland's online health insurance exchange can be attributed to development incompetence. The article highlights that the decision to build the complex online exchange on a tight deadline was considered a "high-risk undertaking" from the outset. Maryland made the process more challenging by trying to add features like a Medicaid renewal function to the health insurance marketplace, which contributed to the problems faced by the system [24834].
(b) The software failure incident in Maryland's online health insurance exchange also involved accidental factors. For example, the system faced challenges such as incorrect eligibility determinations, difficulties in choosing managed care organizations, and issues with sending enrollment data to the federal Medicaid hub. These issues were not intentional but were accidental consequences of the flawed system design and implementation [24834]. |
| Duration |
temporary |
The software failure incident related to the Maryland online health insurance exchange can be categorized as a temporary failure. The articles mention that the exchange faced significant challenges and flaws, leading to unnecessary Medicaid spending, incorrect eligibility determinations, difficulties in enrollment, and problems with identifying recipients. The state officials were considering various options to address the issues, such as fixing the system, developing a new one, adopting successful technology from other states, joining a consortium, or using the federal marketplace [24834]. Additionally, there were delays in confirming Medicaid eligibility, and the system was not functioning as intended, requiring urgent decisions to be made about its future [24834]. |
| Behaviour |
crash, omission, value, other |
(a) crash: The software failure incident in Maryland's online health insurance exchange can be categorized as a crash. The article mentions that the exchange site crashed almost immediately after its debut on October 1st [24834].
(b) omission: The software failure incident also involved omission as a type of behavior. For example, the system could not identify Medicaid recipients who should be removed from the rolls due to increased income, leading to delays and unnecessary payments [24834].
(c) timing: The timing of the software failure incident is evident in the article as well. The system was not performing its intended functions correctly in a timely manner, causing delays in confirming the eligibility of Medicaid recipients and resulting in unnecessary costs [24834].
(d) value: The software failure incident also exhibited behavior related to performing its intended functions incorrectly. For instance, Medicaid applicants faced issues with incorrect eligibility determinations, difficulties in choosing managed care organizations, and problems in sending enrollment data to the federal Medicaid hub [24834].
(e) byzantine: The byzantine behavior is not explicitly mentioned in the articles provided.
(f) other: The software failure incident in Maryland's health insurance exchange could also be categorized under the "other" behavior as it involved a combination of issues such as system crashes, omissions, timing delays, and incorrect functioning, leading to a complex and multifaceted failure incident [24834]. |