“Governors John Kitzhaber (D-OR) and Martin O’Malley (D-MD) have been promising ObamaCare would be a panacea for the uninsured and promised to build their own state-of-the-art ObamaCare exchanges. Both have been an utter disaster. Worse, both were warned well in advance that their websites, which barely function, if at all, would not be ready for launch. Now these Governors must answer for their political malfeasance.” – RGA Communications Director Gail Gitcho
In January 2011, One Of Kitzhaber’s First Official Press Releases As Governor Trumpeted ObamaCare
Kitzhaber Said He Was A Strong Supporter Of ObamaCare Because Of The “Important Improvements And Protections” In The Law. “I am a strong supporter of the important improvements and protections in the federal Affordable Care Act. It has laid an essential foundation for the health reform work being done in Oregon. Now we must change the health care delivery system in Oregon to produce better value by lowering costs, improving care and increasing quality.” (Press Release, “Governor Kitzhaber Statement On Oregon And Federal Health Reform,” Office of Governor John Kitzhaber, 1/19/11)
Kitzhaber: “I look forward to working with the President on dramatically changing how we deliver health care so we can produce better results and reduce the burdensome costs of our current system.” (Press Release, “Governor Kitzhaber Statement On Oregon And Federal Health Reform,” Office of Governor John Kitzhaber, 1/19/11)
“Less Than 24 Hours After” ObamaCare Was Signed Into Law, O’Malley Called A Press Conference To “Announce That Maryland” Would Build Its Own Exchange, Established Council To Oversee The Operation With Lt. Governor Anthony Brown As Co-Chair
Less Than A Day After ObamaCare Became Law, O’Malley Called Press Conference To Announce Creation Of Maryland’s Own ObamaCare Exchange. “It’s a situation far different than what O’Malley predicted on a sunny morning in March 2010, less than 24 hours after Obama signed the Affordable Care Act. O’Malley called reporters to the entrance of an Anne Arundel County emergency room to announce that Maryland would begin drafting plans to ‘immediately begin the work to ensure our state leads the nation.’” (Aaron C. Davis and Mary Pat Flaherty, “Maryland Officials Were Warned For A Year Of Problems With Online Health-Insurance Site,” The Washington Post, 1/11/14)
Through Executive Order, O’Malley Created The Maryland Health Care Reform Coordinating Council To Oversee The State’s Efforts To Implement The ObamaCare Exchange. “Governor Martin O’Malley unveiled an Executive Order today outside the Emergency Room at Anne Arundel Medical Center, where the Governor outlined ways in which federal health care reform, signed by President Obama yesterday, will impact families in Maryland. The Executive Order creates the Maryland Health Care Reform Coordinating Council to advise the administration on policies and procedures to implement the recent and future federal health care reform legislation as efficiently and effectively as possible. As states assume the critical role of implementing multiple aspects of health care reform, the Council will make policy recommendations and offer implementation strategies to keep Maryland among the leading states in expanding quality, affordable health care while reducing waste and controlling costs.” (Press Release, “Governor Martin O’Malley Announces Health Care Reform Council,” Office of Governor Martin O’Malley, 3/24/10)
“Council To Ensure Efficiency In Implementing Health Care Expansion, Cost Control Measures.” (Press Release, “Governor Martin O’Malley Announces Health Care Reform Council,” Office of Governor Martin O’Malley, 3/24/10)
“Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown, DHMH Secretary John M. Colmers To Co-Chair Council.” (Press Release, “Governor Martin O’Malley Announces Health Care Reform Council,” Office of Governor Martin O’Malley, 3/24/10)
“Maryland Was Among The Earliest And Most Enthusiastic Supporters Of What Became Known As ‘Obamacare,’” Second State “To Enact Legislation Creating An Exchange.” “Of the 14 states that opted to build and run their own health-insurance marketplaces, Maryland was among the earliest and most enthusiastic supporters of what became known as ‘Obamacare.’ And it became the second state, trailing California, to enact legislation creating an exchange.” (Aaron C. Davis and Mary Pat Flaherty, “Maryland Officials Were Warned For A Year Of Problems With Online Health-Insurance Site,” The Washington Post, 1/11/14)
Kitzhaber’s Cover Oregon Unlikely To Be Working “For The Foreseeable Future”
“And You Thought Healthcare.Gov Had Problems.” (Dan Mangan, “Oregon Obamacare Site Flounders As Feds Make Progress,” CNBC, 12/3/13)
“Oregon’s State-Run Obamacare Exchange Still Isn’t Working More Than Two Months After Its Scheduled Launch, And The State On Monday Said A Paltry 219 People Have Filed Paper Applications For Private Health Insurance So Far.” (Dan Mangan, “Oregon Obamacare Site Flounders As Feds Make Progress,” CNBC, 12/3/13)
“Cover Oregon, Like All Obamacare Exchanges, Was Supposed To Begin Operations Oct. 1.” (Dan Mangan, “Oregon Obamacare Site Flounders As Feds Make Progress,” CNBC, 12/3/13)
“But A Series Of Serious Technical Glitches Prevented It From Enrolling People Online In Individual Health Insurance.” (Dan Mangan, “Oregon Obamacare Site Flounders As Feds Make Progress,” CNBC, 12/3/13)
Cover Oregon “Will Likely Not Be Functioning For The Foreseeable Future.” “Kitzhaber was in Portland to discuss Cover Oregon’s new enrollment numbers even as he admitted the exchange’s costly and all-important website will likely not be functioning for the foreseeable future.” (Hillary Lake and Dusty Lane, “Gov. Denies Prior Knowledge Of Cover Oregon Failure, Exits Exclusive KATU Interview,” KATU, 1/9/14)
The O’Malley-Brown ObamaCare Exchange, Maryland Health Connection, Has Been A Disaster
“[Maryland Health Connection’s] Problems Continue To Prevent Marylanders From Signing Up For Health Insurance.” (Aaron C. Davis and Mary Pat Flaherty, “Maryland Officials Were Warned For A Year Of Problems With Online Health-Insurance Site,” The Washington Post, 1/11/14)
“As Of Friday, 20,358 People Had Selected Private Plans, And State Officials Have Said They Do Not Expect To Come Close To Their Initial Goal Of 150,000 By The End Of March.” (Aaron C. Davis and Mary Pat Flaherty, “Maryland Officials Were Warned For A Year Of Problems With Online Health-Insurance Site,” The Washington Post, 1/11/14)
Kitzhaber Was Warned At Least Ten Months Before The Launch Of Cover Oregon That There Were Serious Problems
Then-State Representative Patrick Sheehan, Then A Member Of Cover Oregon’s Oversight Committee, Warned Kitzhaber In December 2102 Of Problems With Lawson And The Website. “But in December 2012, 10 months before Kitzhaber said he first heard of the problems with the Cover Oregon website, Rep. Patrick Sheehan sent an email to the governor’s office warning him of problems, specifically with Lawson. KATU’s Investigators recently unearthed that message. Sheehan was a member of the legislative oversight committee for Cover Oregon.” (Hillary Lake and Dusty Lane, “Gov. Denies Prior Knowledge Of Cover Oregon Failure, Exits Exclusive KATU Interview,” KATU, 1/9/14)
“In The Email, Sheehan Questioned Lawson’s Decision-Making, Accused Her Of Presenting Fraudulent Testimony In A Legislative Hearing And Speculated About Her Ties To Oracle, The Company Paid Tens Of Millions Of Dollars To Help With The Project’s Technical Aspects.” (Hillary Lake and Dusty Lane, “Gov. Denies Prior Knowledge Of Cover Oregon Failure, Exits Exclusive KATU Interview,” KATU, 1/9/14)
O’Malley And Brown Failed To “Heed Warnings” About Maryland Health Connection’s Problems
“More Than A Year Before Maryland Launched Its Health Insurance Exchange, Senior State Officials Failed To Heed Warnings That No One Was Ultimately Accountable For The $170 Million Project And That The State Lacked A Plausible Plan For How It Would Be Ready By Oct. 1.” (Aaron C. Davis and Mary Pat Flaherty, “Maryland Officials Were Warned For A Year Of Problems With Online Health-Insurance Site,” The Washington Post, 1/11/14)
Warnings Continued Up Until Launch That Maryland Health Connection Was “Extremely Unstable” And That The State Had “No Clear Picture” When The ObamaCare Site Went Live. “The repeated warnings culminated days before the launch, with one from contractors testing the Web site that said it was ‘extremely unstable’ and another from an outside consultant that urged state officials not to let residents enroll in health plans because there was ‘no clear picture’ of what would happen when the exchange would turn on.” (Aaron C. Davis and Mary Pat Flaherty, “Maryland Officials Were Warned For A Year Of Problems With Online Health-Insurance Site,” The Washington Post, 1/11/14)
“On A Conference Call At The Start Of The Final Week Of September, Senior Aides Gave O’Malley A High-Level Summary Of Expected Troubles With The Exchange.” (Aaron C. Davis and Mary Pat Flaherty, “Maryland Officials Were Warned For A Year Of Problems With Online Health-Insurance Site,” The Washington Post, 1/11/14)
“The Web Site Would Not Allow Some People To Check For Subsidies Or To Select Plans, But Everyone Should At Least Be Able To Log On, He Was Told, According To Several Aides.” (Aaron C. Davis and Mary Pat Flaherty, “Maryland Officials Were Warned For A Year Of Problems With Online Health-Insurance Site,” The Washington Post, 1/11/14)
“The Governor Ended The Call, Said John Griffin, His Chief Of Staff, Saying The State Should Move Forward.’” (Aaron C. Davis and Mary Pat Flaherty, “Maryland Officials Were Warned For A Year Of Problems With Online Health-Insurance Site,” The Washington Post, 1/11/14)
“But Two Days Later, Griffin Requested That A Roomful Of Aides To The Governor And Brown Vote On Whether To Proceed. Most Gave The Oct. 1 Launch A Green Light.” (Aaron C. Davis and Mary Pat Flaherty, “Maryland Officials Were Warned For A Year Of Problems With Online Health-Insurance Site,” The Washington Post, 1/11/14)
In Endorsement Of His Gubernatorial Campaign, U.S. Senator Barbara Mikulski Credited Brown For Making Sure Maryland’s ObamaCare Exchange Was “Ready To Go.” “On Oct. 1, while we’re fighting to save Obamacare, we know that in Maryland we have a health exchange that’s ready to go because of Anthony Brown.” (Michael Dresser, “Mikulski Backs Brown In Primary For Maryland Governor,” The Baltimore Sun, 9/22/13)
“The Next Day, O’Malley Smiled As Obama Visited Prince George’s County And Praised State Leaders For Being Ready To Roll.” (Aaron C. Davis and Mary Pat Flaherty, “Maryland Officials Were Warned For A Year Of Problems With Online Health-Insurance Site,” The Washington Post, 1/11/14)
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