Sens. Johanns and Moran Demand HHS Accountability, Honesty Regarding ACA Exchange Subsidies
Press Release
U.S. Sens. Mike Johanns (R-Neb.), Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government, and Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies, today asked U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to clarify how HHS will make certain taxpayer dollars are protected from waste and abuse when allocating subsidy payments through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Exchanges. A May 16, 2014, Washington Post article indicates "the government may be paying incorrect subsidies to more than one million Americans for their health plans" through the Exchanges established under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA).
"The implementation of Obamacare has been a disaster from the start, and it seems there is no end in sight," Johanns said. "Earlier this year, Secretary Sebelius said there were systems in place to certify individuals would receive only those subsidies for which they are qualified, but now we are learning that may not be the case and those systems may not even exist. It's outrageous to imagine a Cabinet Secretary so carelessly spending taxpayer dollars without a system of checks and balances in place -- and that doesn't even address the issue of potentially misleading Congress."
"Americans are frustrated with the Department's apparent lack of concern in implementing Obamacare in a timely and cost effective manner," Sen. Moran said. "Since the roll out began, there has been one delay after another, huge cost overruns, and a general lack of transparency about where American taxpayer dollars are being spent. We have now learned that millions are being spent on incorrect subsidies -- this is unacceptable. I will continue to demand accountability and transparency from the Administration so taxpayers aren't on the hook for yet another Obamacare disaster."
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