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(Image source: HealthCare.gov)
BY CANDICE AVILES
A woman at the center of the government's HealthCare.gov efforts issued a formal apology
Tuesday for the many problems plaguing the new site. Here's the head of the Centers for
Medicare and Medicaid Services, Marilyn Tavenner.
"I want to apologize to you that the website hasn't worked as well as it should. ... I
want to assure you that healthcare.gov can and will be fixed." (Via NBC)
The House Ways and Means Committee questioned Tavenner for about three hours and focused
on two issues. The first being the website's faults. (Via Business Journal)
Mr. Buchanan: "I can't imagine how you could think this system is working."
Mr. Brady: "Why should the American people believe you now?"
Chairman Camp: "How do you not know how many people have enrolled?"
Reporter: "Tavenner refused to say how many people have actually enrolled." (Via WCAU)
The second, asking if the Obama administration misled people about being able to keep their
health insurance if they wanted to.
President Obama: "If you like your doctor you will be able to keep your doctor. Period.
... If you like your health care plan, you will be able to keep your health care plan."
Reporter: "That's not exactly the case for millions of Americans in the individual insurance
market." (Via Central Florida News)
Many people have received letters saying their health insurance will expire starting in 2014
because their plans do not meet the Affordable Care Act's minimum standards. (Via NBC)
"That means the President's promise that if people like their current plans they can keep
them, is being broken." (Via CNN)
Fox News' Megyn Kelly interviewed former speechwriter for President Bush Marc Thiessen about the
millions of Americans whose health insurance will end come 2014. Thiessen said the Obama
administration intended for this to happen.
"It's going to be up to 14 million people. Why would they want those people to lose their
health insurance? Because they need those people to move into the exchanges to subsidise
the poor people."
Over the course of Travenner's hearing, she insisted the website is working in some capacities
and is improving each week and that it should be significantly improved by November. (Via
MSNBC)
She also mentioned the private contractors hired to create the site didn't meet their
expectations. One of the contractors, CGI Federal, currently has a contract worth $200
million. (Via CNN)
Travenner's hearing comes one day before her boss, Health and Human Services Secretary
Kathleen Sebelius, will appear before the House Energy and Commerce Committee.