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Sebelius: Money Separate from Obamacare Is Being Used to Fix Botched Implementation

October 30, 2013

Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R., Ill.) asked Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius where HHS is attaining the funds to fix the litany of problems in Obamacare implementation Wednesday in the Energy & Commerce Committee hearing.

Sebelius replied she is drawing money from a nonrecurring expense fund using her legal transfer authority.

Kinzinger pressed Sebelius specifically on whether those expense funds were a part of the Obamacare law.

The Health and Human Services secretary did not reply directly, but seemed to concede the money was not connected to the Affordable Care Act although intended for a related cause of promoting "expanded healthcare":

ADAM KINZINGER And just a second quick question. Where is HHS getting the money to pay for these fixes? Is it coming from other HHS accounts? Have you used your transport authority to move money from non-ACA programs to pay for the cost of implementing the president's healthcare program? And if so, from which programs have you drawn money to help with the fix, that's not ACA related?

KATHLEEN SEBELIUS: Well as you know Congressman, it's been two years since we've had a budget at HHS. We also have not had at the president's requested implementation budget authorized by the Congress each of those years, we have used not only resources internally but I do have legal transfer authority that I've used, and a nonrecurring expense fund. We will get you all the details of that.

KINZINGER So the answer is yes though, there is some non-ACA money being transferred and used for the implementation of the ACA?

SEBELIUS: There is money specifically designed for either outreach and education, so the health centers have hired education outreach people as part of their outreach for health personnel. I would say it's definitely related cause to get expanded healthcare. Thank you.