Evidence Refutes Issa Claims About White House Role on "Anonymous Shopper"

Washington, D.C.—Today, Rep. Elijah E. Cummings, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, released a Democratic staff memo that refutes Committee Chairman Darrell Issa's claims that the White House directed the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to disable the so-called "anonymous shopper" function of the Healthcare.gov website in September for political reasons to avoid "sticker shock." Instead, documents obtained by the Committee and interviews conducted by Committee staff show that the decision was made by CMS officials frustrated by critical contractor defects in the final weeks remaining before the launch of the website.

Read the full memo here.

Read the Democratic staff memo for the committee's Nov.13, 2013, hearing here.