The leaders of Oregon's struggling health insurance exchange will be grilled by state lawmakers in a series of hearings at the capitol on Monday and Tuesday.
Cover Oregon has been the subject of lawsuits and ridicule for having a website that never fully functioned and the upcoming hearings won't be the first time that lawmakers have faced down Cover Oregon executives.
The difference this time is that the drumbeat for the discontinuation of Cover Oregon has intensified in recent weeks. Republicans have called for a special session to effectively pull the plug on Cover Oregon and transfer its remaining responsibilities to existing state agencies. They say this would give lawmakers more direct oversight over Cover Oregon.
Democrats agree with that general strategy, except they don't agree with the timing of it. Democrats, including Governor John Kitzhaber, say it's best to wait until the regular legislative session next year.
Lawmakers won't take any votes on Cover Oregon at this series of interim hearings.
Copyright 2014 Northwest News Network
