Oregon’s Failed O-Care Exchange Enrolled U.S. Senator In Medicaid

Sen. Jeff Merkley talks about voter registration in the Cedar Room on the PCC Sylvania campus in Portland, Ore., Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2012. (AP Photo/The Oregonian, Benjamin Brink) MAGS OUT; TV OUT; LOCAL TV OUT; LOCA... Sen. Jeff Merkley talks about voter registration in the Cedar Room on the PCC Sylvania campus in Portland, Ore., Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2012. (AP Photo/The Oregonian, Benjamin Brink) MAGS OUT; TV OUT; LOCAL TV OUT; LOCAL INTERNET OUT; THE MERCURY OUT; WILLAMETTE WEEK OUT; PAMPLIN MEDIA GROUP OUT MORE LESS
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Somehow, some way, Oregon’s disastrous Obamacare exchange managed to enroll U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) in Medicaid, the public insurance program for low-income individuals and families.

The Oregonian reported Wednesday that after enrolling in private health insurance under the law, Merkley received a letter from the exchange telling him that he was enrolled in Medicaid.

“It must have been about half a year after I was on (private insurance) we suddenly got a mailing that said ‘Congratulations, you’re enrolled!'” Merkley recalled. “And I was like, ‘What? You’re crazy.'”

Senators make $174,000 per year. The threshold for expanded Medicaid coverage in Oregon under Obamacare is $31,721 for a family of four.

The Oregonian reported that the problem of double-enrollment — ineligible enrollees being placed in Medicaid — had been a recurring issue for Oregon. State officials would not immediately comment to the newspaper.

The Oregon exchange’s performance in Obamacare’s first enrollment period was so bad that the state is switching to the federal HealthCare.gov next year. The state and the company that built the exchange are currently suing each other over the failed launch.

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  1. Huh? This article seems internally inconsistent:

    “Somehow, some way…”

    followed by

    “The Oregonian reported that the problem of double-enrollment – ineligible enrollees being placed in Medicaid – had been a recurring issue for Oregon.”

    It’s not exactly a giant mystery qualifying for “somehow, some way” shocked status if it’s a known problem that’s been recurring. And yeah, “somehow, some way” = bad coding. Do we need the details of where they left off a comma or semicolon, thus screwing up the syntax of the entire script (or whatever)? Nope.

  2. Avatar for jacabo jacabo says:

    as a long time fan of Gov. Kitzhaber, I am sort of glad that he appears to have escaped being tarred and feathered for the Cover Oregon debacle. I want him to win in November, but if I am being honest, his administration really messed this up, and has avoided being held accountable.

  3. Avatar for sooner sooner says:

    True, that and doing the Columbia Crossing all by our lonesome with no $$ from Washington. I’m not certain that Kitz has been that involved in governing these past four years but Dennis Richardson? I’d vote for Sasquatch dung before I’d vote for Richardson!.

  4. Planned sabotage of the Oregon exchange by a TPer-owned company?

  5. Oh we’re back to using the word “disastrous”.
    Yay.

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