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So in otherwords, as usual, starfire_xes is full of it.

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The most clear data comes from a U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) report from June (pdf), which states that the U.S. Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) spent “almost $394 million from fiscal year 2010 through March 2013 through contracts” to build the “federally facilitated exchanges” (FFEs) – the complex system that includes Healthcare.gov as well as certain state-based exchanges – the data hub, and other expenditures related to the Obamacare exchange system. While GAO states that the “highest volume” of that $394 million was related to the development of “information technology systems,” a more detailed look at that cost shows that a portion that $394 million was spent on things like call centers and collection services. Take that out, and you’re left with roughly $363 million spent on technology-related costs to the healthcare exchanges – the bulk of which ($88 million) went to CGI Federal, the company awarded a $93.7 million contract to build Healthcare.gov and other technology portions of the FFEs.

That’s already a hell of a lot of money, but that does not account for all costs accrued for this project. As the GAO states, the $392 million figure does “not include CMS salaries and other administrative costs” associated with the Obamacare exchanges. In other words, the actual cost for the development and implementation of the total Obamacare exchange system is far higher. We’ve reached out to CMS for an exact figure, but thanks to the government shutdown, we have yet to hear from them on this matter. However, we do know, according to CMS’s 2014 budget request (pdf), that agency spent more than $150 million in 2012 and 2013 in relation to the Affordable Care Act – a lowball figure considering that, in its 2013 budget request (pdf), the agency asked for more than $1 billion in additional funds “needed to support operation infrastructure” and open-enrollment preparations of the FFEs.
At this point I can only speculate on the total cost to build out Healthcare.gov and the overall technology portion of the FFEs. Based on the available data, however, a conservative estimate puts the cost so far at over $500 million. Considering the GAO estimates it will cost approximately $2 billion to build-out and operate the FFEs in 2014, this is, if anything, likely far too low. Once we hear back from CMS on this matter, I’ll update this space with more detailed figures above the $363 million we know about for certain.

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Well, Im glad it only cost 100 million or so.

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Smokey420 said:

I know right, we deserve full single payer health care like the rest of the 1st world. Not some over-hyped insurance reform.

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Mush4Brains said:

That's the thing about single payer, Zap, everybody pays for it.  Do you get refunds from your medicare taxes paid?  Medicaid?  Social security?  Nope.

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Enlil said:

That's the ideal, sure...but in reality, many people don't pay federal income taxes.  They would be getting something for nothing.

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zappaisgod said:

Mush4Brains said:

That's the thing about single payer, Zap, everybody pays for it.  Do you get refunds from your medicare taxes paid?  Medicaid?  Social security?  Nope.

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Not entirely sure what point you are trying to make.  You do not seem to understand where the government gets the funds it so generously disburses to piece of shit losers.  It isn't by printing it although that would be better than taking it from non losers.

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That's the thing about single payer, Zap, everybody pays for it.