The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) says it needs $1.8 billion (with a "B") to run the federal Obamacare website, HealthCare.gov, in fiscal 2015. Officials said about $1.2 billion of that will come from fees tied to Obamacare, but Congress will have to cough up the remaining $600 million.
"If Congress funds the president’s budget … this would fully fund the ongoing implementation of the Affordable Care Act,” HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said.
The agency also vowed enhancements and fixes to the site during the time that this year's open enrollment closes on March 31 and when new enrollment begins on Nov. 15, 2014. Marilyn Tavenner, administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), said the goal is to develop "a more consumer friendly application, one that's a little easier to navigate."
HealthCare.gov serves residents in the 34 states that declined to implement their own marketplaces.