MEDFORD, Ore.– After the state-run health insurance exchange known as Cover Oregon failed to sign anyone up, U.S. Rep. Greg Walden called for a federal investigation into the operation.
Oregon was one of the first states to receive federal funding, $304 million in total, to create an online insurance exchange, but the “Cover Oregon” website has yet to enroll one person in health care coverage.
“Oregonians deserve accountability, they deserve answers, and it’s time to pull the covers back on Cover Oregon and get them,” said Walden.
Walden and State Rep. Dennis Richardson, from Central Point, are angry and frustrated with the health care exchange.
“I and other top leaders of the House Energy and Commerce Committee have requested the Government Accountability Office open a federal investigation into the failures of Cover Oregon,” Walden said in a press conference Thursday.
Richardson, who is also running for governor, says he had reservations with the Oregon Health Authority’s request for federal grants from the beginning.
“I said that at first we could not accept that because the experience that the state of Oregon has had in running IT projects has been one failure after another,” Richardson said.
Months after the state accepted the funds, Richardson says, red flags started popping up, after a quality insurance team was hired.
“The team did its job. They were warned every month, to the greatest extent possible, as to whether or not the project was moving forward and if not, where the problems were and they ignored it,” Richardson explained.
Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber has acknowledged the site’s failures.
“We are told the specific concerns have been investigated had been reviewed and had been addressed.” he told KGW in Portland. “Obviously we were not getting good information, I think a lot of people were not getting good information, and no one is more disturbed about that than I am.”
Five thousand Oregonians have signed a petition supporting a federal investigation by the nonpartisan GAO.
