SDFM The Business of Defense
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The technical problems plaguing the rollout of healthcare.gov are now under the radar of a tech surge orchestrated by Health and Human Services Department. Former acting director of the Office of Management and Budget Jeff Zeintz will be part the tech surge, HHS says his public sector experience combined with his private sector background in management firms will help direct the effort. HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius says a team of Presidential Innovation Fellows will also join the surge. The top contractor behind the rollout, CGI Federal, says it shares responsibility for the technical issues, but another contractor was in charge of building the technology for creating new accounts that eventually caused access problems to the site.
November 12, 2013 -
If you can't get past the technical problems affecting health care dot gov, the Health and Human Services Department can still help you find a health care plan. Its Data Services Hub can helps find coverage options and any available financial assistance. HHS says the Hub is NOT a database, so it doesn't retain any information applicants submit to find health care options. Right now the agency has a November 30th deadline to fix the technical issues with healthcare dot gov. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator, Marilyn Tavenner, says a three-page application process was overwhelmed by the volume of traffic to the site and is causing the delays. Tavenner says a new contractor will oversee the fixes to the enrollment system.
November 12, 2013 -
The bar to enroll people in health insurance exchanges for the month of October is set at half a million people. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has monthly goals set until the end of March 20-14...that's when the open enrollment period is over. But computer and access problems with the exchange websites might undermine the hopes of reaching that initial goal of half a million mark. Despite the problems, the H-H-S still expects to sign up 496 thousand people by the end of October...that's four thousand people short of the goal. The agency expects more than three million people to be connected with the exchanges by the end of 20-13. By the end of March, H-H-S expects total enrollment to grow beyond seven million people.
November 12, 2013 -
The Federal Marketing Insight is a weekly feature highlighting a topical federal marketing subject. It's meant to be an insightful and a quick read.
November 08, 2013 -
A group of tech-minded teens met with Defense Information Systems Agency Director, Air Force Lt. Gen. Ronnie Hawkins on Nov. 6. The group of 11 has been participating in "DISA's Interactive Student Career Opportunity and Volunteer Experience Resource Program"-- the DISCOVER program.
November 08, 2013 -
On this week's Capital Impact show, Bloomberg Government analysts will examine NIST's preliminary cybersecurity framework, and Google's lobbying efforts. November 7, 2013
November 07, 2013 -
Ron Woody is a Senior Solution Architect at Xerox who delivers cutting -edge solutions stemming from his greater than 25 years of delivering a holistic approach to constituent servicing. His success in delivering excellence to…
November 07, 2013 -
What is shared services and its benefits? How does HHS's Program Support Center manage the business of government? How is PSC using technology to streamline operations, increase efficiencies, and reduce costs? Join host Michael Keegan and he explores these questions and so much more with Paul Bartley, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Program Support at U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, and director of its Program Support Center. Paul Bartley Deputy Assistant Secretary for Program Support & Director Program Support Center (PSC) Department of Health and Human Services
November 07, 2013 -
In part two of our Agency of the Month interview with Peter Spencer, deputy commissioner for Budget, Finance, Quality and Management at the Social Security Administration, Spencer says lessons learned in 2013 will help the agency moving forward in 2014 and beyond.
November 07, 2013 -
When it comes to cybersecurity, one of the biggest challenges is verifying the identity of the end user, whether it's for an e-commerce site, or a secure government database. The challenge is multiplied by the explosive growth in the use of mobile devices in both the public and private sector. On this edition of AFCEA Answers, we'll look at government efforts in the realm of identity assurance with Ken Gantt, Acting Deputy Director of the Office of Biometric Identity Management (OBIM) with the Department of Homeland Security. And, we'll examine the work of the multi-institution Center for Identity Technology Research (CITeR), delving into "next-generation" solutions for identity assurance, with its director, Dr. Stephanie Schuckers, a professor at Clarkson University in Pottsdam, NY.
November 07, 2013 -
This week on AFGE's "Inside Government" National President J. David Cox Sr. proposes reforms at the Transportation Security Administration after last week's shooting at the Los Angeles International Airport. Rep. Donna Edwards (Md.) discusses upcoming budget battles on Capitol Hill, AFGE Federal Protective Service Local 918 President David Wright addresses training concerns with the FPS contractor workforce and DoD Local 2024 Chief Steward Donald Hands talks about ways to engage retired union members.
November 06, 2013 -
At his nomination hearing before a Senate committee Tuesday, President Barack Obama's pick to serve in the Veterans Affairs Department's No. 2 management slot pledged to tackle a host of challenges plaguing the department. Sloan Gibson, the president and CEO of the nonprofit USO, told members of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee if confirmed to be the VA's deputy director he would tackle the longstanding backlog of disability claims and will work to find common ground with the Defense Department on a new strategy for a joint electronic-health records system. The committee also considered the nominations of Linda Schwartz to be the assistant VA secretary for policy and planning and Constance Tobias to serve as the chair of VA's Board of Veterans' Appeals.
November 06, 2013 -
Col. Jim Ekvall, chief of the electronic warfare division, joins Federal News Radio DoD reporter Jared Serbu on this week's edition of On DoD.
November 06, 2013 -
The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency is thinking about an invitation to visit Tehran for scheduled talks, a possible sign of progress in a long-stalled investigation into suspected nuclear arms research by Iran. After years of worsening confrontation with the West, Iran has become more conciliatory of late.
November 06, 2013 -
Tony Harmon, CEO of CareDirector USA, wil discuss the interaction between technology and managed services, healthcare IT, and the Affordable Care Act. November 5, 2013
November 05, 2013