Prosecutors issue subpoena targeting Cover Oregon and Oregon Health Authority
U.S. federal prosecutors have issued a subpoena to the state of Oregon, requesting official records concerning Cover Oregon, the state’s problematic insurance exchange. The exchange has been crippled by technical problems that have made it impossible for many people to enroll for the health insurance coverage that they need. Because the exchange has failed to live up to the standards of consumers and the federal government, federal officials are keen to find out where blame can be placed for the issue.
State’s insurance exchange suffers from crippling technical problems
The state originally had developed its own insurance exchange with the help of Oracle Corp. Together, the two entities were able to develop a digital insurance marketplace platform that promised to make health insurance coverage more available to residents of Oregon, no matter what their financial situation may be. Unfortunately, the exchange was plagued by technical problems that proved difficult to fix. Oregon decided to allow the federal government to take over the exchange, which also means that the government is responsible for repairing the damaged platform.
Prosecutors seek communications records concerning Cover Oregon and the Oregon Health Authority
Federal prosecutors are demanding records of all communications among the state officials that were involved in the development of the exchange system. The subpoena also seeks the acquisition of communication records between state and federal officials, particularly records in which state officials discussed funding for the state’s exchange. All exchanges throughout the U.S. have received financial backing from the federal government.
Cover Oregon and Oregon Health Authority to comply with federal prosecutors to expedite solution to longstanding issue
Both Cover Oregon and the Oregon Health Authority, which had initially been responsible for developing the state’s insurance exchange, have issued statements concerning their commitment to comply with federal prosecutors. A quick resolution to this issue may mean that the state’s insurance exchange will get back on track more quickly, allowing insurance coverage to become more accessible to consumers that had intended to acquire coverage through the exchange system before its problems came to light.
