Q: It was reported that the much-troubled system for signing up for the government’s affordable health insurance was designed by a contractor. What was the name of the company, and are they responsible for setting it right? Will they have to pay a penalty?
—June Wallach, Roswell
A: CGI Federal, which is owned by CGI Group, Canada's largest technology company, won the primary contract to build HealthCare.gov, the website to help people connect with insurers. CGI won the bid about 18 months after the 2010 passage of the Affordable Care Act, giving the company about two years before the Oct. 1 launch. After delays and glitches marred the website's debut, CGI began working alongside computer engineers and programmers from other companies, including Google and Oracle, to resolve the issues. CGI has been paid at least $104 million, and no penalties were built into the contract, Bloomberg reported earlier this month. The company is due another $197 million in March, but U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has said, "paying for work that isn't complete is not something that we will do."
Q: There was no mention of Emani’s biological mother in the article concerning events that led to her murder. Tiffany Moss was the stepmother. Is there any information about the birth mother?
—BT Pierce, Atlanta
A: Emani Moss' birth mother gave up custody of her when she was 4 years old. Her father, Eman Moss, and her stepmother, Tiffany Moss, were charged with felony murder, first-degree child cruelty and concealing a death after the 10-year-old's burned body was found in a trash can in Gwinnett County on Nov. 2.
Andy Johnston wrote this column; Staff writer Christian Boone contributed. Do you have a question about the news? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or email q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).
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