A Maryland congressman has proposed exploring an unexpected solution for his state’s troubled Obamacare website: moving its operations to HealthCare.gov.
Rep. John Delaney (D-MD) asked the Maryland Department of Health in a letter Monday to examine the pros and cons of making the transition, either partially or fully. He noted that the state has only signed up about 18,250 people for private coverage thus far, about 12 percent of its goal of 150,000 by the end of March.
The state site has been dealing with technical problems since its Oct. 1 launch, though officials had asserted in mid-December that its major issues had been resolved. It is one of 14 states operating its own Obamacare marketplace.
“The ACA can accomplish two very important things: ensuring all Americans have access to health care and bending the cost curve on health care expenditures,” Delaney wrote. “For the ACA to accomplish these objectives, however, it must be implemented correctly. Effective implementation includes a large number of Americans successfully enrolling in private health care coverage.”
A spokesperson for the health department told the Wall Street Journal that the state was still exploring all options, including whether it would be possible to use part of the federal system.
