The to-date cost of the glitchy Obamacare website has topped $1 billion, easily surpassing the $394 million originally estimated by the Government Accountability Office, according to aBloomberg Government analysis.
HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius (Getty Images)
It’s important to note that the Bloomberg analysis runs through Sept. 30, just before the 16-day partial government shutdown. So the final cost may be more than $1 billion.
Perhaps more shocking than the site’s likely price tag is the fact that roughly one-third of that amount was spent on contracts awarded in the six months leading up to the site’s disastrous Oct. 1 launch – when those at the top were reportedly aware of the site’s many problems.
“The torrent of late spending — almost $352 million of $1 billion in awards to the top 10 contractors — indicates the magnitude of the work still to be done as opening day approached,” Bloomberg’s Peter Gosselin reported, “and helps explain the information technology problems that have dogged the exchange system since its launch.”
The Bloomberg figure may come as a shock to many Americans. Indeed, despite the GAO stating clearly that its data was incomplete, the $394 million estimate has been widely reported as the official cost of the launch of the Affordable Care Act.
