VA Said Electronic Health Record Modernization Would Cost $10 Billion — Now It’s $48 Billion
Lawmakers said Oracle’s refusal to testify left them unable to review a contract extension they say could reach $17 billion.
- On Wednesday, the House Veterans Affairs Committee unanimously subpoenaed Oracle Chairman Larry Ellison and Co-CEO Mike Sicilia after executives declined to testify at an oversight hearing on the Department of Veterans Affairs' electronic health records modernization project.
- A contract modification raised the electronic health records project ceiling to roughly $27 billion, an increase of about $17 billion from the original $10 billion agreement Oracle inherited through its 2022 acquisition of Cerner.
- Lawmakers cited a 2022 statement from Oracle Co-CEO Mike Sicilia promising the company was "prepared to bear those costs" regarding overruns, contrasting sharply with the current $17 billion budget hike and sparking accusations of "unreasonable" spending.
- Following a unanimous 19-0 vote, Rep. Maxine Dexter, D-Ore., argued that effective oversight is impossible when the contractor refuses to appear, a sentiment solidifying bipartisan frustration over the lack of transparency.
- Despite ongoing oversight concerns, VA Deputy Secretary Paul Lawrence defended the modernization project, noting the department plans 26 additional site deployments in 2027, though Government Accountability Office reports indicate only 4 of 18 recommendations remain fully implemented.
12 Articles
12 Articles
Army Times
VA said electronic health record modernization would cost $10 billion — now it’s $48 billion
The Department of Veterans Affairs is nearly tripling the ceiling on its contract with Oracle to modernize the agency’s electronic health record system.
House committee votes to subpoena Oracle after fiery hearing on VA’s $27B EHRM contract
Executives from Oracle Health have been subpoenaed to appear before the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee after an explosive hearing Wednesday on the electronic health record modernization at the Department of Veterans Affairs. Outrage over the recent $17 billion VA-Oracle contract ceiling hike spilled across the aisle following testimony from VA Deputy Secretary Paul Lawrence and EHRM Integration Office Program Executive Director Neil Evans, wi…
House panel subpoenas Oracle heads over VA health record overhaul’s ballooning costs
The House Veterans’ Affairs Committee voted 19-0 to subpoena Oracle Chairman and Co-founder Larry Ellison and Oracle CEO Mike Sicilia after VA announced plans to boost its contract with the tech giant by $17 billion.
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