Reuters reports that the federal government is “months behind” its efforts to set up data security measures for the state health insurance exchanges, set to open on October 1, as created by Obamacare:
The federal government is months behind in testing data security for the main pillar of Obamacare: allowing Americans to buy health insurance on state exchanges due to open by October 1
The missed deadlines have pushed the government’s decision on whether information technology security is up to snuff to exactly one day before that crucial date, the Department of Health and Human Services’ inspector general said in a report.
As a result, experts say, the exchanges might open with security flaws or, possibly but less likely, be delayed.
The report, released without fanfare last Friday, found that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services or CMS – the agency within HHS that is running Obamacare – had set a May 13 deadline for its contractor to deliver a plan to test the security of the crucial information technology component.
A test was to have been performed between June 3 and 7. But the delivery deadline slipped and the test – assessing firewalls and other security elements – is now set for this week and next.
The missed deadlines have pushed the government’s decision on whether information technology security is up to snuff to exactly one day before that crucial date, the Department of Health and Human Services’ inspector general said in a report.
As a result, experts say, the exchanges might open with security flaws or, possibly but less likely, be delayed.
The report, released without fanfare last Friday, found that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services or CMS – the agency within HHS that is running Obamacare – had set a May 13 deadline for its contractor to deliver a plan to test the security of the crucial information technology component.
A test was to have been performed between June 3 and 7. But the delivery deadline slipped and the test – assessing firewalls and other security elements – is now set for this week and next.
Michael Astrue warned about the privacy problems inherent in the Obamacare exchanges in a recent issue of THE WEEKLY STANDARD:
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