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Kathleen Sebelius testifies about US health website Kathleen Sebelius testifies about US health website
(35 minutes later)
US President Barack Obama's embattled health secretary is testifying over the botched rollout of his healthcare law's insurance marketplace websites. US President Barack Obama's embattled health secretary has apologised to the American people over the botched rollout of his healthcare law's insurance marketplace websites.
Frustrated legislators from both parties are questioning Kathleen Sebelius about the 1 October rollout. In a House committee hearing, legislators from both parties are questioning Kathleen Sebelius about the 1 October launch.
She said Americans "deserve better".
The sites had been projected to enrol seven million uninsured Americans in the first year.The sites had been projected to enrol seven million uninsured Americans in the first year.
On Tuesday, the director of the agency responsible for the website apologised to a separate panel. "You deserve better - I apologise," Ms Sebelius said in sworn testimony in the House energy and commerce committee.
Marilyn Tavenner, head of the US Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), said a "subset" of contractors on the project had "not met expectations". "I'm accountable to you for fixing these problems and I'm committed to earning your confidence back."
'Along the way' 'Improving health security'
Ms Sebelius, the secretary of health and human services, is testifying in front of the House energy and commerce committee on Wednesday, her first defence of the website in front of legislators since the launch of the healthcare.gov site. The secretary of health and human services told the committee in prepared remarks that more than 20 million people had visited the website since its launch, but acknowledged the experience was "frustrating" for many Americans.
Republicans have called for her resignation over the issue. They argue the problems with the website that prevent consumers from signing up reflect broader problems with the healthcare law, which passed in 2010 and which they have sought to repeal or undermine at every turn. The Obama administration has declined to provide figures of how many Americans had actually enrolled in new policies through the sites, rankling Republicans who accuse it of withholding vital information.
Ms Sebelius said the problematic website was "fixable" and that changes had already been made to improve its speed and reliability. She said the federal government was working with the numerous contractors who built the site, and that the Obama administration projected it would be fully up and running by the end of November.
The committee's ranking Democrat, Henry Waxman, acknowledged "the launch of the new website has not gone well" but just as with a prescription drug programme for pensioners enacted under Republican President George Bush, the "early glitches will soon be forgotten".
"We should keep this issue in perspective - the Affordable Care Act is working," he said, using the law's formal name. "It has been improving the health security of millions of Americans for the past three years."
Several committee members questioned why hundreds of thousands of Americans had received letters from their insurance companies saying their policies were being cancelled - despite past assurances from Mr Obama that people who liked their insurance plans would be able to keep them under the health law.
Ms Sebelius rejected the criticism, saying that people whose plans were dropped would have access under the new law to better insurance coverage at comparable rates.
Democrat Frank Pallone called such concerns raised by his Republican colleagues a "red herring" and said insurance companies were cancelling "lousy policies with high prices because they can't compete".
Democrats' frustration
Republicans have called for Ms Sebelius' resignation over the issue.
They argue the problems with the website that prevent consumers from signing up reflect broader problems with the healthcare law, which passed in 2010 and which they have sought to repeal or undermine at every turn.
Democrats who support the president's law have also expressed frustration with the rollout, worried that it will poison public opinion on the programme.Democrats who support the president's law have also expressed frustration with the rollout, worried that it will poison public opinion on the programme.
Pennsylvania Democratic Representative Allyson Schwartz said on Tuesday the administration had "failed to take action to recognise and fix these problems along the way".
"That initial experience has really done some damage to Americans' confidence in this website, in the marketplace and even potentially in the options that they would have available to get health coverage."
The law, known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, is a defining element of Mr Obama's presidency, analysts say.The law, known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, is a defining element of Mr Obama's presidency, analysts say.
Ms Sebelius has travelled around the US in the past weeks to tout the healthcare law's benefits to those not previously covered by their employers or government programmes for the poor and elderly.Ms Sebelius has travelled around the US in the past weeks to tout the healthcare law's benefits to those not previously covered by their employers or government programmes for the poor and elderly.
Before 1 October, she appeared confident the online health insurance markets - run by some states as well as the federal government - would be ready in time.Before 1 October, she appeared confident the online health insurance markets - run by some states as well as the federal government - would be ready in time.
She is expected to face questions from legislators about what she knew about the technical issues and when.
Aside from establishing the healthcare.gov health insurance marketplace website and others run by the states, the law increases coverage requirements for insurance firms, mandates that individuals carry insurance or pay a tax penalty, and offers subsidies to assist in the purchase of the insurance.Aside from establishing the healthcare.gov health insurance marketplace website and others run by the states, the law increases coverage requirements for insurance firms, mandates that individuals carry insurance or pay a tax penalty, and offers subsidies to assist in the purchase of the insurance.
Amid the fallout, the White House has said it will grant a six-week extension - through 31 March 2014 - in the healthcare law's requirement for individuals to buy insurance or face a tax penalty.Amid the fallout, the White House has said it will grant a six-week extension - through 31 March 2014 - in the healthcare law's requirement for individuals to buy insurance or face a tax penalty.
On Tuesday, Ms Tavenner became the latest of several Obama administration officials, including the president himself, to acknowledge the website's operation was unacceptable while arguing the overall law was strong.
"To the millions of Americans who've attempted to use healthcare.gov to shop and enrol in healthcare coverage, I want to apologise to you that the website has not worked as well as it should," she said.
Ms Tavenner told the House ways and means committee she expected "the experience on the site will be smooth for the vast majority of users" towards the end of November.
She also noted that 700,000 people had applied for insurance so far, but said the administration would not have numbers on those actually enrolled until mid-November.
Republicans also used Ms Tavenner's appearance to suggest Mr Obama lied when he said those with existing insurance could keep their policies under the law.
"Can you understand the level of frustration and concern about what many Americans perceive to be a false claim from the administration?" Illinois Republican Representative Peter Roskam asked Ms Tavenner.
Many Americans have received letters saying their policies were being cancelled because insurers could not meet new coverage requirements under the law.
It is unclear how many people are affected by such changes but individual reports have shown some consumers are being asked to pay higher premiums in their newer plans.
Ms Tavenner argued insurance firms were to blame for dropped policies. The Obama administration also argues the new policies will offer better care.