Obamacare adviser says healthcare website encountering new issues

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Obama administration's HealthCare.gov adviser Jeffrey Zients said on Friday that the trouble-plagued federal healthcare website is improving, but that higher volumes of visitors are exposing new capacity and software issues.

In a conference call with reporters, Zients said progress this week has been marred by roadblocks. He described HealthCare.gov as being "a long way from where it needs to be."

The administration is struggling to resolve problems with the website by the end of November, when it has pledged to have the system operating smoothly for the vast number of users including uninsured people interested in obtaining subsidized private health insurance.

(Reporting by David Morgan; editing by Christopher Wilson)

(This story was refiled to correct the spelling of last name to Zients from Zeints)