The new incarnation of Healthcare.gov is intended to allow people to easily search and find for insurance plans that include specific doctors and prescription drugs. Tests of the website, however, have frequently turned up inaccurate or duplicate results.  

As a result, that function might not be available during the first day of open enrollment. Luckily, another new function — a cost estimator — is still slated to be available from day one.  

The insurance industry is pinning the blame for the technical glitches on the government, saying it didn't allow enough time for testing the new site's functionality. Insurers are worried that they will have to deal with thousands of people who signed up for their plans based on inaccurate information. That's why they should double-check anything they see on the website, said Clara Krusing, a spokeswoman for American Health Insurance Plans.  

"This is important data for consumers to have, but it's even more important that the tools are working as intended," she told the New York Times. "Individuals should confirm with their health plan that their specific providers and medications are included before picking their coverage during open enrollment." 

But it might not be completely the government's fault. For the website function to be useful, insurers had to submit information to the feds on all of the doctors and drugs covered by their plans. But officials told the New York Times that only half of insurers had submitted the required information by the Oct. 1 deadline.  

In a statement, Lori Lodes, communications director for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which administers the website,  said, "Right now, we are working closely with the insurance companies to make sure their data is accurate and validated and to identify and fix any potential issues. When we are confident that the data provided by the insurers gives consumers the information they need to choose the right plan, we'll be ready to launch."