RNC Research

This Year, Maryland’s Troubled ObamaCare Exchange Website Is Set To Cost Taxpayers $138 Million. “Maryland’s poorly performing health exchange will cost taxpayers $33 million more than expected this year, bringing the state’s total annual expense to $138 million, officials said Monday. The money is needed, in part, to pay the company hired to help fix the dysfunctional web site and to triple the work force at the state’s call center, which has been overwhelmed by requests for help from customers struggling to buy insurance online.” (Erin Cox, “Costs Rising For State Health Exchange, Which Is Still ‘Not Functional,’” The Baltimore Sun, 2/10/14)

• Bringing The Exchanges Total Cost To $261 Million. “The additional spending this year will bring the overall cost of the online insurance marketplace to $261 million, officials said.” (Erin Cox, “Costs Rising For State Health Exchange, Which Is Still ‘Not Functional,’” The Baltimore Sun, 2/10/14)

Maryland’s State Health Secretary Recently Testified That The State’s ObamaCare Exchange Still Suffers From “‘Serious IT Defects.’”“The exchange still has ‘serious IT defects,’ state health secretary Dr. Joshua Sharfstein told a panel of lawmakers in Annapolis. The administration plans to use the existing contractors for the rest of the current enrollment period, which ends March 31, Sharfstein said.” (Erin Cox, “Costs Rising For State Health Exchange, Which Is Still ‘Not Functional,’” The Baltimore Sun, 2/10/14)

Officials Are Unsure Whether The Exchange Funding Will Fix The Website In Time For Fall Enrollment. “Even with the extra spending, it isn’t certain the exchange can be fixed – or is worth fixing – in time for the next enrollment period in the fall, officials said.” (Erin Cox, “Costs Rising For State Health Exchange, Which Is Still ‘Not Functional,’” The Baltimore Sun, 2/10/14)

As Maryland Officials Deal With The State’s Exchange Fallout, Raises Were Given To The Website’s Director

Maryland’s ObamaCare Exchange Director, Rebecca Pearce Was Awarded “Five Wage Increases” Prior To Her Resignation. “Rebecca Pearce, who resigned under pressure in December as the director of the state’s troubled health insurance exchange, was given five wage increases during her nearly 27-month tenure — including one scheduled raise after she stepped down, according to emails and letters provided by the exchange.” (Meredith Cohn, “Former Md. Health Exchange Director Given Five Wage Increases,” The Baltimore Sun, 2/7/14)

• “Pearce’s Salary When She Departed Was $199,511, Or $24,511 More Than When She Was Hired.” (Meredith Cohn, “Former Md. Health Exchange Director Given Five Wage Increases,” The Baltimore Sun, 2/7/14)

Democrat Governor Martin O’Malley Awarded Pearce A $15,000 Raise As Exchange Director. “In a little over a year and a half, three merit raises approved by the exchange board and Gov. Martin O'Malley added a combined $15,000 to her salary, including a $5,000 raise six months before the botched rollout of the exchange website. The remaining $9,511 came from two cost-of-living raises automatically given to all state employees.” (Meredith Cohn, “Former Md. Health Exchange Director Given Five Wage Increases,” The Baltimore Sun, 2/7/14)

Maryland’s ObamaCare Exchange Website Was Plagued By Glitches Since The Website’s Launch. “Maryland’s $107 million online insurance marketplace crashed on its launch Oct. 1, and problems continued into this week with Monday’s hours-long shutdown. Plagued by technical problems and feuding contractors, the website still has not delivered on its promise to be a national model for health care.” (Erin Cox, “Faltering Exchange Could Mean Trouble For O’Malley, Brown,” Baltimore Sun, 12/24/13)