Oracle Claims Cover Oregon Website Was "Ready For Release in February"

Gov. John Kitzhaber
By NIGEL JAQUISS

The software giant Oracle is punching back at Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber and his decision to abandon the health insurance exchange website state officials spent $248 million building.

In a presentation to the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee last week, Oracle claimed that the Cover Oregon website the system "is ready for release, and has been since February 2014." The company's comments come after the Oregon Department of Justice earlier this month began seeking documents related to Oracle's work on the project. Those document requests are the first step to a lawsuit Kitzhaber requested DOJ consider filing against Oracle over Cover Oregon's failure.

In testimony to the congressional committee, Oracle speculated that Oregon officials nonetheless decided to scrap the troubled website and shift to the federal government's exchange because doing so was politically expedient.

The new information about Oracle's position was first reported over the weekend by WW's news partner KATU.

In response to the report, Kitzhaber's office made the following statement to KATU justifying the decision to jettison Cover Oregon's website:

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