Rep. Kelly Continues Search for Answers from CMS about Obamacare Website Failings

WASHINGTON — Representative Mike Kelly (R-PA), a member of the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Oversight, authored and submitted a new letter today to Marilyn Tavenner, Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), following up on his previous request for specific information about Healthcare.gov, the official website of the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare). Rep. Kelly is still seeking details about the bidding process and project oversight for the faulty website’s construction, which was a topic of discussion at October’s full committee hearing. His original letter from last month requested a reply by November 18, 2013, which was not fulfilled. The new letter can be viewed here.

Excerpts from Rep. Kelly’s new letter to Administrator Tavenner:

“It is imperative that you provide timely and detailed responses to the foregoing requests for information. Hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars have been spent by CMS on behalf of Americans on this defective website. The people whose hard work financed this project deserve a full accounting for these dollars, and their representatives in Congress need the information necessary to ensure that those responsible are held liable. Especially during this time when so many Americans are facing the fear and reality of losing their health insurance, the public deserves to know that the Affordable Care Act’s failings will be made right.”

“It is extremely important that CMS provide the appropriate information regarding its mishandling of the Healthcare.gov roll-out and acknowledge the stress and uncertainty it is causing the American people.”

Rep. Kelly’s new letter reiterates his formal requests for the following items regarding the construction of Healthcare.gov:

• The original Request for Proposal, including the specifications provided, and any amendments thereto;
• The number and names of the respondents;
• Details on the review process, including the criteria used and who chose the winning bidder;
• A copy of any bid bond, performance bond, or other performance guarantee measure provided by the winning contractor against failure to fulfill the contract;
• Details regarding who within the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) was responsible for overseeing the construction and testing of the website and whether this oversight was actually performed;
• How often progress reports were provided to you and Secretary Sebelius regarding construction and testing of the website;
• The date on which CMS became aware that actual costs were above the anticipated costs and were likely to keep rising;
• Who authorized these additional expenditures;
• Details regarding the process for employing the additional “tech surge” contractors, including whether there was a bidding process, how it was conducted, and who chose the winning bidders;
• Copies of the contracts with the “tech surge” contractors as well as any performance guarantee measures or bonds provided by them; and
• Details regarding what authority Jeff Zients is working under and how he is being paid.

The letter also requests:

•           A detailed accounting of the fees and services billed to CMS to date. 

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