In another testimony before Congress, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius asked for an investigation into the practices of private contractors on HealthCare.gov.
Sibelius answered questions on Wednesday from House Republicans about problems that have surrounded the Obamacare website since it launched on Oct. 1. Concerns included the safety of customers' information, higher payments than expected and the cancellation of over a million healthcare plans, The Wall Street Journal reported.
In Nov., the Obama administration said QSII, part of UnitedHealth Group, would be a general contractor to supervise the websites' repairs, Reuters reported.
The health secretary ensured Congress she was working to alleviate the problems.
"I am asking Inspector General to review the acquisition process, overall program management and contractor performance and payment issues related to the development and management of the HelathCare.gov website," Sibelius wrote in a blog, Reuters reported.
In addition, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, in charge of the website's launch, implemented a chief risk officer position to monitor the "risk management practices associated with major agency initiatives," The Wall Street Journal reported.
When the website for Obamacare, officially named the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, first launched it crashed. As of November, close to 365,000 people have signed up for private health care plans, a far cry from the anticipated seven million Americans to be enrolled by next year, The Wall Street Journal reported.
"Every major promise the administration made about the [Affordable Care Act]- from being able to keep your health plan if you like it, to being able to keep your doctor if you want to," said Rep. Joe Pitts (R., Pa.), The Wall Street Journal reported, "has proven to be wrong."
Some feel the latest Obamacare hearing is an excuse to embarrass Sebelius. Republicans are "not sincerely concerned about the uninsured," Rep. Henry Waxman (D., Calif.) said, The Wall Street Journal reported. "It's a constant political attack."
