Congressmen Call For Federal Audit Of Md. Health Exchange

WASHINGTON — — Two Republican lawmakers called Wednesday for an investigation into federal money spent on Maryland's troubled health insurance exchange, raising questions that could shed light on whether the Obama administration foresaw problems with the site before its launch.

In a letter to the inspector general of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Reps. Andy Harris of Maryland and Jack Kingston of Georgia ask auditors to review why millions of federal dollars flowed into the project despite warnings from a consultant about problems.

Though the letter is focused on decisions made by state officials, an audit — if one materializes — would also delve into decisions made by the federal health agency. Health and Human Services officials have declined to say whether they knew of the Maryland site's problems early on.
More