Oregon moves toward lawsuit over health exchange

Source: Associated Press

Oregon moves toward lawsuit over health exchange
By JONATHAN J. COOPER, Associated Press | June 17, 2014 | Updated: June 17, 2014 1:32am

SALEM, Ore. (AP) — Oregon issued legal demands for documents that could become evidence in a possible lawsuit against the developer of the state's failed health insurance website, a solid indication it's preparing for a civil case against technology giant Oracle Corp.

Officials in the governor's office and the state Department of Justice told The Associated Press that record requests known as civil investigative demands were issued, but they declined to say how many were issued or whom they target. They are the first such demands issued in preparation for potential litigation against Oracle, said Kristina Edmunson, a department spokeswoman.

The move on Monday came just weeks after the state more than quadrupled its contract with a private law firm handling the dispute with the second-largest software corporation in the world. Documents obtained by the AP show the state boosted the firm's contract from $550,000 to more than $2.5 million.

Gov. John Kitzhaber blames Oracle for bungling the software for Cover Oregon, the state-run site that was supposed to allow residents to sign up for insurance under the federal health law.


Read more: http://www.chron.com/news/us/article/Oregon-moves-toward-lawsuit-over-health-exchange-5557413.php