Oregon is preparing to scrap its terrible ObamaCare exchange
Alex Wong/Getty Images


After almost seven months of delays and hang-ups, Oregon is moving toward scuttling its state-run ObamaCare exchange and switching over to the federal one.
An advisory panel on Thursday recommended that the state dump its proprietary exchange and have residents instead obtain insurance via the federal site, HealthCare.org. Alex Pettit, the state's chief information officer, estimated that fixing the beleaguered state-run exchange would cost $78 million, while switching to the federal exchange would be a comparative bargain, at just $4 million to $6 million.
Cover Oregon has been a disaster from the start, with severe glitches plaguing the site and top officials resigning as the problems proved too extensive for swift fixes. As of now, residents can only apply for coverage through a costly, time-consuming paper application process — hardly the simple, swift system state officials envisioned before the disastrous launch.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The full Cover Oregon team must still vote on the proposal Friday. As for the feds, they're reportedly prepared to take control.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Jon Terbush is an associate editor at TheWeek.com covering politics, sports, and other things he finds interesting. He has previously written for Talking Points Memo, Raw Story, and Business Insider.
-
RFK Jr. scraps Covid shots for pregnant women, kids
Speed Read The Health Secretary announced a policy change without informing CDC officials
-
New FDA chiefs limit Covid-19 shots to elderly, sick
speed read The FDA set stricter approval standards for booster shots
-
US overdose deaths plunged 27% last year
speed read Drug overdose still 'remains the leading cause of death for Americans aged 18-44,' said the CDC
-
Trump seeks to cut drug prices via executive order
speed read The president's order tells pharmaceutical companies to lower prescription drug prices, but it will likely be thrown out by the courts
-
RFK Jr. visits Texas as 2nd child dies from measles
Speed Read An outbreak of the vaccine-preventable disease continues to grow following a decade of no recorded US measles deaths
-
Shingles vaccine cuts dementia risk, study finds
Speed Read Getting vaccinated appears to significantly reduce the chances of developing Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia
-
Measles outbreak spreads, as does RFK Jr.'s influence
Speed Read The outbreak centered in Texas has grown to at least three states and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is promoting unproven treatments
-
RFK Jr. offers alternative remedies as measles spreads
Speed Read Health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. makes unsupported claims about containing the spread as vaccine skepticism grows