IG report: Security testing for Obamacare data hub behind schedule

News outlets report that a May review of the implementation of the health insurance exchange data hub found the contractor paid to develop security features is months behind on testing them. The Department of Health and Human Services responded that the review was several months ago, "and significant progress has been made since then."

The Washington Post's Wonk Blog: Uh-Oh: Obamacare Security Testing Is Months Behind, Report Says
Last Friday, the Inspector General's Office at Health and Human Services released a report titled "Observations noted during the OIG review of CMS' implementation of the health insurance exchange-data services hub." The most important observation: The federal government is months behind where it hoped to be in testing security features of a crucial health law component (Kliff, 8/6).

USA Today/The Tennessean: Health Exchange Privacy System Deadlines Missed
The federal health exchange risks missing its Oct. 1 rollout date because it has yet to prove it can protect people's privacy. The Office of Inspector General issued a report Monday saying the contractor given the job of developing a system security plan had missed deadlines -; the same day the Department of Health and Human Services started allowing people to set up personal accounts and passwords on the website for the federal exchange (Wilemon, 8/6).

Bloomberg: Obamacare Data Hub Testing Lags Behind Schedule, GAO Says
Security testing for a new computer system underpinning the U.S. health-care overhaul is behind schedule, leaving little margin for error to meet an Oct. 1 deadline, government auditors said. Testing of the government's "data services hub" to support new health insurance marketplaces wasn't scheduled to begin until yesterday, more than a month behind schedule, the Health and Human Services inspector general said in a report (Wayne, 8/6).

Also in the news -

The Washington Post: White House Unveils Health Care Wizard To Teach Business Owners About Obamacare
The White House has kicked its Obamacare outreach and education efforts into full gear, including a new Website designed specifically for curious and confused business owners. The new site allows employers to input their location, company size and current insurance plans and receive tailored information about changes under the law, important dates to remember, and the formulas for determining requirements and penalties (Harrison, 8/6).