House Republicans have called for a briefing on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act's implementation after hearing the Obama administration plans to meet with House Democrats today, according to The Hill.
House Democrats will meet with Mike Hash, head of the HHS Office of Health Reform, according to the report. Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) spokesman Brendan Buck has called the briefing a "snub" to Republicans. A Democratic source told The Hill the White House offered to brief GOP lawmakers last month but didn't receive a response, but Mr. Buck said Republicans did not receive any such invitation.
Senior White House officials also plan to meet with health insurance company executives today concerning efforts to remedy the exchange site errors, according to the report.
Republican lawmakers have demanded more information about the implementation of the healthcare reform law's exchanges, which have encountered numerous technical problems since they opened for enrollment earlier this month. The errors include people not being able to create accounts on HealthCare.gov, dysfunctional drop down tools and the site crashing due to high traffic.
Members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee plan to hold a hearing concerning the PPACA's "troubled rollout" tomorrow. HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius will testify before the committee next week about the reform law's implementation.
Republicans have called for Secretary Sebelius to step down because of the error-ridden rollout, but she has expressed no intention of resigning. Additionally, the Obama administration has maintained it has full confidence in her. President Barack Obama has acknowledged the technical problems with the federal exchange site and has said officials are working to address the issue. However, he has emphasized that the PPACA is more than just a website.
More Articles on PPACA Implementation:
Obama Acknowledges Technical Issues, Defends PPACA
HHS Calls in Tech Experts to Fix HealthCare.gov
Contractors: PPACA Marketplace Repairs Could Take Weeks