The Republican National Committee has filed a public records request with the Oregon health insurance exchange seeking information about the marketplace’s troubled rollout and about compensation for its executives. It plans other requests in Hawaii, Minnesota and Maryland.
The Associated Press: National GOP Requests Oregon Health Exchange Records
The Republican National Committee said it has filed a public records request seeking information about Oregon’s troubled health insurance exchange -; a sign the GOP sees the Cover Oregon challenges as a chance to make gains. In a letter dated Tuesday, the RNC requested information about compensation and vacation time for two senior officials: Cover Oregon director Rocky King and former Oregon Health Authority Chief Information Officer Carolyn Lawson. King is on leave from the agency and does not plan to return. Lawson has stepped down (Cooper, 1/16).
The Oregonian: National GOP Seeks To Turn Up Heat On Cover Oregon With Request For Documents
The Republican National Committee, which is continuing to press health care as the issue of the 2014 elections, says it is filing a public records request for information regarding the compensation of the officials who ran the troubled Cover Oregon website. RNC spokesman Michael Short said the party is also filing similar requests in Hawaii, Minnesota and Maryland —  states that are also under Democratic control.  Short referred to Gov. John Kitzhaber, Sen. Jeff Merkley and Rep. Kurt Schrader, all Oregon Democrats who are up for re-election this year, and said the “national party is getting involved to hold these elected leaders responsible for this disaster†(Mapes, 1/16).
St. Louis Public Radio: Month One Of Health Coverage Under The Affordable Care Act
As of January 1st, the first Americans enrolled in health insurance via the Affordable Care Act began receiving coverage. According to Professor Sidney Watson of the Saint Louis University Health Law Policy Center, a little more than 33,000 Missourians have signed up for plans through the federal Marketplace so far, leaving another 467,000 Missourians eligible to enroll. Almost 26,000 Missourians have enrolled in Medicaid (Phillips, 1/16).
In other exchange news –
Health News Florida: Glitch Hits FL Blue Enrollees
Florida Blue may have bitten off more than it can chew with its new plans under the Affordable Care Act. The company’s customer-service apparatus and computer system appear to be overwhelmed and unable to cope (Gentry, 1/16).
Philly.com: State Health Insurance Marketplaces Boost Outreach Efforts
Health insurance exchanges in five states with strong enrollment growth are ramping up efforts to reach even more uninsured Americans before the end of the Affordable Care Act’s open enrollment period on March 31. The March 31 deadline is for people who want health coverage for 2014 (Pallarito, 1/16).
The Baltimore Sun: Hearings Into Exchange To Continue, Blunders ‘Might Be About Incompetence’
Sen. President Thomas V. Mike Miller said the investigations into how the state bungled its $107 million health exchange would continue until lawmakers are satisfied. … Miller said that [Sen. Thomas “Mac” Middleton, chair of the Finance Committee] will be getting daily briefings on progress to repair the exchange, which as of last week had enrolled less than 25,000 of the 150,000 people state officials hoped to get into private insurance plans. (Cox, 1/16).