Politics & Government

Obamacare Site Tried to Mask 'Sticker Shock' to America, Issa Says

In a letter to the Office of Management and Budget, Issa said a "political decision" to mask the costs of insurance premiums online contributed to technical problems with the website.

Rep. Darrell Issa's House Oversight Committee charged Tuesday that the Obamacare website is failing because officials tried to hide the high price of premiums, the political news site The Hill reported.

In a letter to the Office of Management and Budget, Issa accused the Obama administration of making a “political decision” to mask the costs of insurance premiums online, which he said contributed to technical problems with the website.

"We are concerned that the administration required contractors to change course late in the implementation process to conceal ObamaCare’s effect on increasing health insurance premiums,” Issa wrote in a letter obtained by The Hill.

"We believe that the political decision to mask the ‘sticker shock’ of ObamaCare to the American people prevented contractors from using universally accepted and OMB-advocated IT ‘best practices’ in the development and roll out of this massive federal government IT project.”

Issa said the Affordable Care Act website is flawed because “prudent design and programming decisions are subordinated to politics.”

The Republican from Vista represents Carlsbad, Encinitas, Oceanside, Del Mar, Camp Pendleton, San Clemente, Dana Point, San Juan Capistrano and Ladera Ranch.


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