This screen image shows the website for Oregon’s health care exchange. House Republicans intent on highlighting the woes of President Barack Obama’s health care law need to look no further than their own back yards, some of which are traditionally liberal strongholds. In Oregon, the online portal has struggled to sign up a single individual, and Republican Rep. Greg Walden recently sent a letter to the U.S. Government Accountability Office pressing for an inquiry. Officials in both states insist they are working to fix the problems.WASHINGTON – House Republicans intent on highlighting the woes of President Barack Obama’s health care law need to look no further than their own back yards, some of which are traditionally liberal strongholds.
Maryland’s online health care exchange has been plagued by computer glitches since its rollout last year, reflected in abysmal enrollment numbers well below projections through January. The state’s lone Republican in Congress, Rep. Andy Harris, has asked the inspector general of the federal Health and Human Services Department to investigate.
In Oregon, the online portal has struggled to sign up a single individual, and Republican Rep. Greg Walden recently sent a letter to the Government Accountability Office pressing for an inquiry. Officials in both states insist they are working to fix the problems.
“Everybody’s pointing fingers at everyone else, so we have no idea why this went wrong,” Harris, who was an anesthesiologist at Johns Hopkins Hospital for 30 years, said in a recent interview.
Unified in their opposition to the law, Republicans have been relentless in focusing on its problems, from complaints of canceled policies to higher insurance premiums and Obama’s unilateral decision to delay for two years the requirement that small businesses cover employees.