HHS to Investigate Maryland PPACA Exchange, Congressman Says

The HHS Office of Inspector General is launching an investigation into Maryland's glitch-ridden health insurance exchange, according to a report from The Baltimore Sun.

Rep. Andy Harris (R-Md.), MD, told the Sun OIG officials had contacted him and said they will review the creation of the state's Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act exchange. State legislators are also looking into issues with the exchange, which crashed on its first day and has experienced significant software issues, according to the report. An OIG spokesman declined to comment on the matter.

Mr. Harris and Jack Kingston (R-Ga.) had written to HHS Inspector General Daniel Levinson requesting an investigation into the "the flagrant waste and abuse of taxpayer monies" that funded Maryland's health insurance exchange. According to the letter, the site has "serious IT defects," and state officials are considering scrapping it once the initial open enrollment period ends on March 31. Because of the technical issues, Mr. Harris and Mr. Kingston write the overall cost of Maryland's online insurance marketplace is expected to reach $261 million this year, with all but $47 million of that amount coming from the federal government.

Other policymakers have called for investigations into other state exchanges that have malfunctioned. Last week, the Government Accountability Office accepted a request from Republican members of Congress to probe state-based health insurance exchanges that have been performing poorly. The GAO will launch an investigation into the use of $304 million in federal grants that funded Oregon's exchange site, Cover Oregon, which has floundered and been unable to enroll anyone. Members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee sent a letter to the GAO last month requesting an investigation.

In response to similar requests from several members of Congress and congressional committees, the GAO has said it will broaden its investigation beyond Oregon, although the other states have not yet been determined. Overall, 14 states and the District of Columbia opted to run their own exchanges under the PPACA.

More Articles on Health Insurance Exchanges:
GAO Agrees to Investigate State-Based PPACA Exchanges
Republicans Investigate State-Based Exchange Sites
HHS Expands Access to Tax Credits in States With Failed PPACA Exchanges 

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