WebMD has received nearly $14 million in federal dollars to promote ObamaCare over the last three years, according to contract documents released Thursday.
The Department of Health and Human Services began paying WebMD in 2011 as part of its national effort to educate people about the rollout of the Affordable Care Act.
{mosads}The government considers WebMD “the trusted source of information and education regarding the new law,” according to a new contract that was first reported Thursday by the Washington Free Beacon. The $14 million is nearly three times the amount initially negotiated by HHS.
WebMD, one of the best-known health websites in the world, receives about 156 million unique views per month.
Healthcare-related content includes an infographic titled, “Do I Really Need Insurance,” a map to help visitors “Find Your State’s Marketplace” and a quiz to “Check Your Insurance IQ.”
Under the new contract, WebMD will receive another $650,000 over the next year.
The original contract was initially pegged at $4.8 million, devoting as much as $69,000 for a four-minute video and $140,000 to an online quiz.
Michael Heinley, vice president of corporate communication for WebMD, told the Free Beacon the contract does not mean that the government has sway over their content.
“With regard to editorial content, WebMD has strict editorial practices that ensure the content we produce is unbiased and done so independent of any third party involvement or control,” he said.