FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NEWS RELEASE
November 6, 2013
For More Information, contact:
Luther Strange
Joy Patterson (334) 242-7491
Alabama Attorney General
Claire Haynes (334) 242-7351
Page 1 of 1
AG STRANGE JOINS 9 OTHER STATES IN LETTER SEEKING IMMEDIATE
LEGISLATIVE ACTION TO FIX AFFORDABLE CARE ACT PROBLEMS
(MONTOGOMERY)–Attorney General Luther Strange and the Attorneys General of nine
other states today sent a letter to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen
Sebelius asking her and the Obama administration to support immediate legislative action to mitigate
systemic implementation problems within the Affordable Care Act.
The five-page letter highlights three areas of concern the Attorneys General have with the
implementation of the Affordable Care Act: the many statutory and regulatory delays, the significant
technological difficulties, and the security of consumers’ private information.
“Attorneys General work day in and day out to protect consumers, and so far, the
implementation of Obamacare has been a disaster for people all across the country,” Attorney
General Strange said. “I hope the Obama administration and members of Congress will work together
on legislation to fix the mounting problems with the law that the failed rollout has highlighted.”
In the letter, the Attorneys General highlight a number of statutory provisions that have been
delayed thus far, including the cap on consumers’ out-of-pocket expenses, the small business health
insurance exchange, and the mandate requiring large employers to provide health insurance. After it
was clear people could not sign up for health insurance on the government’s own website, the
administration unilaterally decided to postpone the deadline when uninsured citizens had to have
insurance or face a penalty on their taxes.
The letter also highlights the immense technical difficulties the system has experienced since
opening on October 1. The website where people are supposed to enroll is extremely difficult to use
and has resulted in consumers encountering numerous “glitches” when they try to create an account,
find information on policies and pricing, and update their information. Insurers also are reporting
problems, such as duplicate enrollments, spouses reported as children, and missing data fields.
The Attorneys Generals’ biggest concern, however, still centers on the privacy and security of
consumer information. The letter highlights a number of cybersecurity red flags experts have
identified, including the website’s inability to block third-party access to cookies containing personal
information.
“We have many serious concerns about the implementation of the ACA so far. We hope
Congress and the Administration will take immediate steps to mitigate these problems,” Attorney
General Strange said.
In addition to Alabama, the letter was signed by the Attorneys General of West Virginia,
Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas and Utah.
501 Washington Avenue Montgomery, AL 36104 (334) 242-7300
www.ago.state.al.us
