GOP chorus attacks Obamacare over Healthcare.gov hack

A hacker broke into part of the HealthCare.gov insurance portal this summer but federal authorities said the intruder did not seem to have taken consumer data. Millions of Americas registered on the site to purchase insurance.

'Today, we briefed key congressional staff about an intrusion on a test server that supports HealthCare.gov. Our review indicates that the server did not contain consumer personal information; data was not transmitted outside the agency, and the website was not specifically targeted. We have taken measures to further strengthen security,' a Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services statement said.

The hacker appears to have accessed a server and uploaded harmful software, which can be used to launch other attacks, although a CMS spokesman said those attacks were not in fact carried out. Still, it is believed to be the first time a hacker has entered the federal health insurance website.

The Wall Street Journal first reported the incident, which was discovered as 'unusual server traffic' on Aug. 25, CMS said.

CMS said the hack would not affect the start of the second enrollment period, which begins Nov. 15.

Congressional Republicans have repeatedly and persistently warned that the website, with its notorious flaws and disastrous launch, had not been adequately tested and was not secure.

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