Here's a press release. Its electrons are still warm from zipping thru the intertoobs.
Maryland's online health website situation continues to devolve.
An update on this meeting, and whether it was legally conducted, etc., will follow.
Statement from the Board of the Maryland Health Benefit Exchange
on the End of Noridian’s Role as Prime IT Contractor
(February 24, 2014)—Dr. Joshua M. Sharfstein, chair of the Board of the Maryland
Health Benefit Exchange (MHBE), today issued the following statement on behalf of the
Board:
Last evening, at the recommendation of Secretary of the Department of
Information Technology Isabel FitzGerald, the Board of the Maryland Health
Benefit Exchange voted to end the role of Noridian Healthcare Solutions as the
prime IT contractor for the Exchange. The Board also voted to transition the role
of prime IT contractor on an interim basis to Optum/QSSI, the general contractor
that the Exchange hired in December 2013.
This transition will support the Exchange’s goal of enrolling as many
Marylanders as possible in quality, affordable health coverage by the close of
open enrollment on March 31. Optum/QSSI is based in Columbia, Md.; the
federal government hired Optum/QSSI in October to fix the federal health
insurance marketplace (healthcare.gov). The company will bring additional IT
expertise to the project, and will contract with key existing subcontractors to
improve and maintain the current technology underlying Maryland Health
Connection in the short term. These steps will support a smooth transition.
Secretary FitzGerald is leading a review of options for the Maryland Health
Benefit Exchange’s IT system after open enrollment ends, and today’s
announcement does not affect that review.
The Exchange is preserving all rights to seek damages against Noridian and its
subcontractors for problems with the IT system.
# # #