Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) on Thursday accused the Obama administration of failing to protect healthcare customers’ personal data after a report that outside companies could access the government’s site.
“It’s not accidental at all,” he said Thursday in an interview with Fox News.
The Associated Press reported Tuesday evening that the information shared with companies can include specific data such as a person’s age, income, smoking habits, pregnancy status and ZIP code, as well as their computer’s IP address, which can be used, in part, to identify their name and location.
{mosads}Officials defended the flow of data to private firms, saying it is meant to improve the consumer experience and cannot be used by companies for private gain.
A group of GOP lawmakers has already sent a letter demanding answers about the extent of the breach.
Issa blasted health officials for allowing third parties to access the data, which he said was “taken involuntarily from the American people” under ObamaCare.
“The idea of mining personally identifiable information on things you’re compelled to do is actually protected under the law,” he said.
Issa also dug at the Obama administration for other problems related to the healthcare law, such as the miscount of dental plans under its enrollment count.
That miscount, he said, is “what probably caused [Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Administrator Marilyn] Tavenner to finally resign.”