VIDEO: Smith Questions HHS Secretary Burwell on CoOportunity Health’s Failure

Congressman Adrian Smith (R-NE) participated today in a House Ways and Means Committee hearing on Obamacare implementation and the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Fiscal Year 2016 budget. In the hearing, Smith questioned HHS Secretary Sylvia Burwell about CoOportunity Health’s liquidation and what can be done to assist the tens of thousands of Nebraskans impacted, as well as whether other Americans enrolled in Obamacare’s Consumer Operated and Oriented Plans will face similar coverage losses.

“Unfortunately, today’s hearing did not yield any real answers to my questions on CoOportunity Health’s collapse,” Smith said. “In January, I sent a letter with similar questions to HHS and waited five months to only receive a vague response. Nebraskans are rightfully frustrated after first being told they could keep the insurance they had and liked, and then losing the insurance Obamacare created. I am also concerned more Consumer Operated and Oriented Plans across the country are starting to show similar warning signs of failure and even more Americans will once again lose their insurance. I will keep pushing for answers to help those shouldering this bureaucratic mismanagement and to prevent more Americans from facing the same hardship.”

In February, Smith introduced H.R. 954 which would exempt consumers who purchased coverage under a terminated qualified health plan funded through the Consumer Operated and Oriented Plan program, such as CoOportunity Health, from paying Obamacare’s individual mandate penalties.

For more information on H.R. 954, click here.