CMS Deputy Chief Information Officer Henry Chao said Tuesday that 30 percent to 40 percent of the IT systems needed to support the federal Obamacare exchange remains to be built.
Other way around. Only 30 to 40 percent has been built. So nobody is paying through this system any time soon (or more likely, never). They better get that subsidy calculator API for the insurers done soon. That's far, far simpler than building a whole billing & payments module. Catch this jaw-dropping exchange from today's testimony (h/t Jim Geraighty)
Rep. Cory Gardner, R-Colo., asks Chao what percentage of the system remains to be built.
Chao says, “I think it’s, uh, just an approximation, we’re probably sitting somewhere between 60 and 70 percent, because we still have to build the systems–”
Gardner responds incredulously, “Sixty to seventy percent that needs to be built, still?”
Chao responds, “Because we still have to build the payment systems to make payments to issuers in January.”
“Let me get this correct,” Gardner says, ”60 to 70 percent of Healthcare.gov still needs to be built?”
Chao responds, “It’s not really Healthcare.gov, it’s the federally facilitated marketplace.”
Gardner: “But the entire system that the American people are being required to rely on…”
Chao: “That part is there. Healthcare.gov, the online application, verification, determination, plan compare, getting enrolled, generating enrollment transactions, that’s 100 percent there. What I’m talking about–”
Gardner: “But the entire system is 60 to 70 percent away from being complete?”
Chao: “There’s the back office systems, the accounting systems, the payment systems, they still need be built.”
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