US President Barack Obama's embattled health secretary has apologised to the American people over the botched rollout of his healthcare law's insurance marketplace websites.
In a House committee hearing, legislators from both parties are questioning Kathleen Sebelius about the 1 October rollout.
She said Americans "deserve better".
The sites had been projected to enrol seven million uninsured Americans in the first year.
'Along the way'On Tuesday, Ms Sebelius, the secretary of health and human services, told the House energy and commerce committee that more than 20 million people had visited the website since its launch, but acknowledged the experience was "frustrating" for many Americans.
"The tremendous interest shown in HealthCare.gov shows that people want to buy this product," she wrote in prepared remarks.
"The initial consumer experience of HealthCare.gov has not lived up to the expectations of the American people and is not acceptable," Ms Sebelius said in her remarks. "We are committed to fixing these problems as soon as possible."
The committee's ranking Democrat, Henry Waxman, acknowledged "the launch of the new website has not gone well" but just as with a prescription drug programme for pensioners enacted under Republican President George Bush, the "early glitches will soon be forgotten".
"We should keep this issue in perspective - the Affordable Care Act is working," he said, referring to the law's formal name. "It has been improving the health security of millions of Americans for the past three years."
Republicans have called for Ms Sebelius' resignation over the issue.
They argue the problems with the website that prevent consumers from signing up reflect broader problems with the healthcare law, which passed in 2010 and which they have sought to repeal or undermine at every turn.
Democrats who support the president's law have also expressed frustration with the rollout, worried that it will poison public opinion on the programme.
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Pennsylvania Democratic Representative Allyson Schwartz said on Tuesday the administration had "failed to take action to recognise and fix these problems along the way".
"That initial experience has really done some damage to Americans' confidence in this website, in the marketplace and even potentially in the options that they would have available to get health coverage."
The law, known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, is a defining element of Mr Obama's presidency, analysts say.
Ms Sebelius has travelled around the US in the past weeks to tout the healthcare law's benefits to those not previously covered by their employers or government programmes for the poor and elderly.
Before 1 October, she appeared confident the online health insurance markets - run by some states as well as the federal government - would be ready in time.
She was expected to face questions from legislators about what she knew about the technical issues and when.
Aside from establishing the healthcare.gov health insurance marketplace website and others run by the states, the law increases coverage requirements for insurance firms, mandates that individuals carry insurance or pay a tax penalty, and offers subsidies to assist in the purchase of the insurance.
Amid the fallout, the White House has said it will grant a six-week extension - through 31 March 2014 - in the healthcare law's requirement for individuals to buy insurance or face a tax penalty.
Many Americans have received letters saying their policies were being cancelled because insurers could not meet new coverage requirements under the law.
It is unclear how many people are affected by such changes but individual reports have shown some consumers are being asked to pay higher premiums in their newer plans.
The Obama administration also argues the new policies will offer better care.
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