[snowwrestler]

One way to get to that number is to count all the code that interfaces with Healthcare.gov. For example, we know that Healthcare.gov interfaces with Social Security, IRS, and Homeland Security databases. I suspect, but have not seen it documented, that it could also be interfacing with one or many databases in each of the 36 states it covers as the federal exchange. Add up the complexity of all these systems and SWAG the number of lines of code.

Another way to get there could be metaprogramming. If you have a Java code writing C code writing web pages [1], you'll get progressively larger number of lines of code depending on where you take the count.

Another way could be needless, but legally mandated, duplication. For example since insurance is state-regulated, what if the law mandates data isolation per state--so there are 36 separate data stores: one for each state. That would give you 36 times as many "lines of code" if you were extremely literal in adding it all up.

These are all silly of course. But everything surrounding PPACA seems like it has to be silly, so why not this?

[1] I don't actually believe this is the stack.