"The page lacked a cancel button or any way to opt out of Medicaid."

"It was done; she was enrolled, and there was nothing to do but click 'Next' and then to sign out."

This happened in the state of Washington, which supposedly has one of the better health-exchange websites and which for some reason has relabeled its Medicaid with the absurd name Washington Apple Health.

IN THE COMMENTS: Freeman Hunt said:

Shouldn't that be illegal? How can you sign up for something without agreeing to sign up for it.

I answered her question:

How is it any worse than requiring that you have insurance coverage? Once they've done that and detailed what is required, you're in a mandatory system. The computer is simply telling you what your options are within the system. For this woman, there was only one option. There was no way to back out and say I don't want to do what it's been determined I must do. When she entered the website, she gave up the option of going rogue. The rest was a cranking forward into the machinery.