Medford, Ore.– Cover Oregon’s website is considered the worst online health exchange in the country. And some Oregon law makers aren’t happy.
U.S. Representative Greg Walden said, “What a mess, what a disaster, and it just feels like nobody is feeling accountable.”
Thursday, a panel investigating what to do to fix Cover Oregon’s site said it’s not worth fixing and Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber agrees.
“I think it’s the right move.”
Cover Oregon officials estimates it would cost $78,000,000 to overhaul the system incomparison to joining the federal exchange which would cost four to $6,000,000.
State Representative Dennis Richardson who’s also running for Governor said he’s been against Cover Oregon from the start.
He stated, “The state has once again botched a major I.T. project and the taxpayers are going to be stuck with his bill of over $200,000,000.”
And another early critic, Representative Walden said, “It’ s hard to have trust in a government that tells you everything is going to be fine, tells youeverything isgood, tells you not to worry.”
Governor Kitzhaber said as far as getting back any of the millions of dollars lost. That would only come from a lawsuit against the website developer Oracle.
“There is a pathway decision made by the Attorney General but we were very scrupulous in making sure that we didn’t produce any legal option going forward to recover some of these resources if we deem that’s appropriate.”
The Cover Oregon Board will vote on it’srecommendationFriday.
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