Potential delay on some upgrades to gov’t insurance site

WASHINGTON (AP) – With sign-up season starting in just two weeks, the Obama administration is indicating on Monday that some long-awaited upgrades to the government’s health insurance website could take more time.

At issue is a new doctor look-up tool for HealthCare.gov, as well as another feature that would allow consumers to find out whether a particular health plan covers their prescription drugs.

Spokeswoman Lori Lodes (LOW-dess) says those online improvements will be ready to launch when the administration is confident that data provided by health insurers is accurate and validated. She would not commit to a specific date, saying only it will happen soon.

The insurance industry says testing has uncovered some problems with accuracy of those features.

Open enrollment runs from Nov. 1 to Jan. 31.