= new reply since forum marked as read
Yikes. 
Just a terrible showing.
I don't know much else about her, but I'm surprised she still has a job.
My guess is that to avoid potential rate shock among customers, someone at HHS decided that you would not be allowed to see the prices for insurance plans without first putting in your personal data. That way, the only way you'd see the prices is with the subsidies already figured into the price. Part of the system sort of looks like this:
Customer --> Healthcare.gov Site ---> Back-end verification system --- > Government Databases
In theory, the back-end is supposed to be checking your personal information against various government databases (like IRS and DHS). If the back-end system isn't working, or if it is having trouble accessing the government databases in a timely fashion, which seems likely, then you can't verify your personal information and so you can't get anything done.
Edit: And I would think it would have been possible to create a system where you make an account and put in some personal data without verification, just to shop. Then you could actually apply for official verification, get an e-mail ("Wait 48 hours while we verify your data"
and then purchase.