Thursday, March 28, 2024
Hawai'i Free Press

Current Articles | Archives

Friday, November 15, 2013
HI lawmakers critical of developer that created health-care, tax websites
By Malia Zimmerman @ 6:03 PM :: 5754 Views :: Hawaii State Government, Health Care, Taxes

HI lawmakers critical of developer that created health-care, tax websites

 CRITICISM: Senate President Donna Mercado Kim, a Democrat running for Congress, is critical of CGI Group, the company that developed Hawaii’s tax system and healthcare exchange websites.

by Malia Zimmerman, Watchdog.org, November 15, 2013

HONOLULU — Hawaii state senators are criticizing CGI Group Inc., the company that developed Hawaii’s troubled Obamacare portal, for the construction and management of a tax-collection website.

The state Department of Taxation paid CGI Group more than $87 million over 12 years to modernize the state’s tax-collection system, but, Senate President Donna Mercado Kim said,the system often crashes and is plagued with other problems.

CGI Group maintains its work in Hawaii has produced positive results for the state, collecting $385 million in delinquent taxes and cutting refund times.

But in a recent legislative briefing, senators on the Ways & Means Committee were critical of the department’s plan to spend at least $32 million more to upgrade the tax department system, saying that number could reach $50 million.

In an exclusive interview with Watchdog.org, Kim, a Democrat running for Congress, in January heard the Hawaii Health Connector planned to contract with CGI Group in January for $53 million to build and maintain the Obamacare exchange website. She quickly warned Hawaii Health Connector executives about past problems with the Canadian-based technology company.

Coral Andrews, executive director of the Hawaii Health Connector, defended the choice and said CGI was selected through a competitive procurement process that complied with federal guidelines and oversight, as well as board oversight.

The website didn’t work for more than two weeks after it launched Oct. 1, because plans and pricing could not be displayed, and the system crashed and froze when users tried to register.

Since the site relaunched Oct. 15 there have been complaints, including its cumbersome technology, frequent crashes after the extensive forms are filled out and submitted and confusion over plan pricing.

The Hawaii Health Connector released figures Thursday that showed just 94 small businesses signed up  for health-care plans through the Obamacare exchange.

The Hawaii Health Connector did not disclose the number of people who obtained coverage through its services, although a few thousand have created accounts and started the application process, according to a spokesperson.

Coral Andrews, Hawaii Health Connector Coral Andrews, Hawaii Health Connector, defends the selection of CGI Group

Those familiar with the exchange’s system glitches said the enrollment figures are not accurate, in part because the information entered into the system does not always transfer correctly to the health insurance providers — it’s scrambled — so the insurance companies cannot process it; applications can be submitted several times because of technical glitches; and those just checking out the exchange with no plans to sign up can falsely inflate user figures.

Reg Baker, a certified public accountant  and executive vice president for Hawaii Medical Assurance Association, said it may take time for the public to get comfortable with the exchanges.

“Confidence in the exchanges has taken a hit,” said Baker, whose company is not providing plans through the Obamacare exchange. “Let’s hope that the exchanges will be able to turn this around and, if so, sign ups on the exchanges should improve.“

---30---

Links

TEXT "follow HawaiiFreePress" to 40404

Register to Vote

2aHawaii

808 Silent Majority

Aloha Pregnancy Care Center

AntiPlanner

Antonio Gramsci Reading List

A Place for Women in Waipio

Ballotpedia Hawaii

Broken Trust

Build More Hawaiian Homes Working Group

Christian Homeschoolers of Hawaii

Cliff Slater's Second Opinion

DVids Hawaii

FIRE

Fix Oahu!

Frontline: The Fixers

Genetic Literacy Project

Grassroot Institute

Habele.org

Hawaii Aquarium Fish Report

Hawaii Aviation Preservation Society

Hawaii Catholic TV

Hawaii Christian Coalition

Hawaii Cigar Association

Hawaii ConCon Info

Hawaii Debt Clock

Hawaii Defense Foundation

Hawaii Family Forum

Hawaii Farmers and Ranchers United

Hawaii Farmer's Daughter

Hawaii Federalist Society

Hawaii Federation of Republican Women

Hawaii History Blog

Hawaii Homeschool Association

Hawaii Jihadi Trial

Hawaii Legal News

Hawaii Legal Short-Term Rental Alliance

Hawaii Matters

Hawaii's Partnership for Appropriate & Compassionate Care

Hawaii Public Charter School Network

Hawaii Rifle Association

Hawaii Shippers Council

Hawaii Smokers Alliance

Hawaii State Data Lab

Hawaii Together

HIEC.Coop

HiFiCo

Hiram Fong Papers

Homeschool Legal Defense Hawaii

Honolulu Moms for Liberty

Honolulu Navy League

Honolulu Traffic

House Minority Blog

Imua TMT

Inouye-Kwock, NYT 1992

Inside the Nature Conservancy

Inverse Condemnation

Investigative Project on Terrorism

July 4 in Hawaii

Kakaako Cares

Keep Hawaii's Heroes

Land and Power in Hawaii

Legislative Committee Analysis Tool

Lessons in Firearm Education

Lingle Years

Managed Care Matters -- Hawaii

Malama Pregnancy Center of Maui

MentalIllnessPolicy.org

Military Home Educators' Network Oahu

Missile Defense Advocacy

MIS Veterans Hawaii

NAMI Hawaii

Natatorium.org

National Christian Foundation Hawaii

National Parents Org Hawaii

NFIB Hawaii News

No GMO Means No Aloha

Not Dead Yet, Hawaii

NRA-ILA Hawaii

Oahu Alternative Transport

Obookiah

OHA Lies

Opt Out Today

OurFutureHawaii.com

Patients Rights Council Hawaii

PEACE Hawaii

People vs Machine

Practical Policy Institute of Hawaii

Pritchett Cartoons

Pro-GMO Hawaii

P.U.E.O.

RailRipoff.com

Rental by Owner Awareness Assn

ReRoute the Rail

Research Institute for Hawaii USA

Rick Hamada Show

RJ Rummel

Robotics Organizing Committee

School Choice in Hawaii

SenatorFong.com

Sink the Jones Act

Statehood for Guam

Talking Tax

Tax Foundation of Hawaii

The Real Hanabusa

Time Out Honolulu

Trustee Akina KWO Columns

UCC Truths

US Tax Foundation Hawaii Info

VAREP Honolulu

Waagey.org

West Maui Taxpayers Association

What Natalie Thinks

Whole Life Hawaii

Yes2TMT