Obamacare Website Fix to Cost $121 Million

Obamacare Website Fix to Cost $121 Million

Wednesday, 30 Apr 2014 09:03 AM

By Drew MacKenzie

http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/obamacare-website-fix-millions/2014/04/30/id/568592

House Republican leaders have denounced the escalating expenses of Obamacare websites as the new contractor hired to fix the federal exchange revealed that it will cost the government $121 million for repairs and renovation — $27 million more than to build it.

Accenture Federal Service was brought in on an emergency basis to remedy HealthCare.gov after the system’s original builder, CGI Federal, was fired in February following a series of glitches that delayed or prevented millions of Americans from getting insurance coverage, according to The Washington Times.

The business management and technology company revealed the contract on its website Tuesday, and said that it includes the repair work and the creation of new features such as “enhancing the back-end capabilities to improve issuer payments.”

The original cost to the government of building HealthCare.gov was $93.7 million while the $121 million fix fee for one year’s work is $30 million more than the government estimated a few months ago, according to the Times.

“There doesn’t seem to be a light at the end of the tunnel for Obamacare website expenses,” House Oversight Committee Chairman Darrell Issa, a California Republican, told the Times.

“Developers are still being brought in to finish building HealthCare.gov, some states are abandoning their own failed sites, and federal taxpayers are still being handed the bills for it all.”

Rep. Michael Burgess, who wants to repeal and replace Obamacare, also slammed the Accenture contract, declaring, “This thing just stinks from top to bottom.”

The Texas Republican noted the extra expenditures prove the GOP was correct in stating that the Obamacare system was doomed to failure from the very beginning.

Burgees added that Americans will take into account the glitches, expenses and canceled health policies when they vote in November, according to the Times.

But the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which oversees HealthCare.gov, defended the contract, saying that the renovated federal website will be easier for consumers to access and negotiate.

“As CMS moves forward in our efforts to help consumers access quality, affordable health coverage, we have finalized a one-year agreement begun in January with Accenture to continue their work on Healthcare.gov,” spokesman Aaron Albright said in a statement.

“We are pleased that more than 8 million consumers have enrolled in a private plan through the federal marketplace and look forward to continuing to work with Accenture to prepare for the next open enrollment period.”

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services

Donald M. Berwick was an administrator for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, and is a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress.

Note: John D. Podesta is the founder of the Center for American Progress, and the counselor for the Barack Obama administration.

George Soros was a supporter for the Center for American Progress, and was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Center for American Progress, the Committee for Economic Development, and the Brookings Institution (think tank).

Kenneth M. Duberstein  was a VP for the Committee for Economic Development, is a trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank), and the chairman & CEO for the Duberstein Group, Inc.

Duberstein Group, Inc. is the lobby firm for the Accenture Ltd.

Donna S. Morea was a trustee at the Committee for Economic Development, and the EVP for the CGI Group Inc.

CGI Group Inc. was the Obamacare contractor that developed Healthcare.gov web site.

Obamacare is Barack Obama’s signature policy initiative.

Barack Obama’s signature policy initiative is Obamacare, and was an intern at Sidley Austin LLP.

Michelle Obama was a lawyer at Sidley Austin LLP.

Newton N. Minow is a senior counsel at Sidley Austin LLP, and a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago.

R. Eden Martin is counsel at Sidley Austin LLP, and the president of the Commercial Club of Chicago.

Valerie B. Jarrett is a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago, the senior adviser for the Barack Obama administration, and her great uncle is Vernon E. Jordan Jr.

Vernon E. Jordan Jr. is Valerie B. Jarrett’s great uncle, an honorary trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank), a senior counsel for Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, LLP, a director at the American Friends of Bilderberg (think tank), and a 2008 Bilderberg conference participant (think tank).

Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, LLP was a funder for the Center for American Progress.

Donald M. Berwick is a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, and was an administrator for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

Tom Daschle is the chairman for the Center for American Progress, was a nominee for health and human services secretary for the Barack Obama administration, a special policy adviser at Alston & Bird, and a 2008 Bilderberg conference participant (think tank).

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Thomas A. Scully is a senior counsel at Alston & Bird, and was an administrator at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

Timothy P. Trysla is a partner at Alston & Bird, and was a senior policy adviser to the administrator for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.