Updated: Jonathan Gruber, and Three Other Medical Board Members Appointed by Deval Patrick Fired By New Massachusetts Governor; Gruber Suspected of Exaggerating Billing To State Of Vermont

Posted February 25, 2015 8:35 PM ET; Last updated February 26, 2015 4:56 PM ET




[From article]
A Massachusetts Institute of Technology health economist who made national headlines last year for talking about 'the stupidity of the American voter' was a target Monday in a report from the Vermont state auditor saying the economist may have padded his bills to the state.
Auditor of Accounts Douglas Hoffer said he referred his findings on Jonathan Gruber and his contract with the state to Attorney General William Sorrell.
Hoffer said Gruber's invoices billed Vermont $100 per hour for the work of a research assistant – 1,000 hours in 10 weeks.
'To do so, the RA would have worked exclusively on this project for more than 14 hours per day – every day,' the auditor said.
If the assistant worked Monday through Friday, it would amount to 20 hours per day, with just four hours left over to eat and sleep.
[. . .]
The MIT economist got $392,600 from the Department of Health and Human Services for his Obamacare consulting, records show.
The National Institutes of Health paid him another $2 million for Medicare consulting, and the Justice Department has compensated him to the tune of $1.7 million for 'expert witness testimony.'
Four US states, including Vermont, contracted with him for another $1.6 million in consuting work for advice about health care laws.
[. . .]
'It is noteworthy that Dr. Gruber's first invoice reported round numbers of hours worked (100 for Mr. Gruber and 500 for the research assistants),' Hoffer wrote.
'This is possible, but unlikely. In addition, the second invoice reported exactly the same figures, which is implausible.'

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2965958/Obamacare-architect-turned-villain-Jonathan-Gruber-accused-padding-bills-work-Vermont-s-health-insurance-20-hours-weekday.html

Obamacare 'architect'-turned-villain Jonathan Gruber accused of padding his bills for work on Vermont's health insurance system – at 20 hours per weekday!
Gruber famously was caught on video saying that Obamacare became law because of 'the stupiditiy of the American voter'
The MIT economist is now accused of inflating his hours on a contract with the state of Vermont
Gruber was tasked with creating an economic model that would show all the costs associated with a single-payer health insurance system
He billed the state for 1,000 hours of work by a research assistant over just 10 weeks – a rate of more than 20 hours for every weekday
By ASSOCIATED PRESS and DAVID MARTOSKO, US POLITICAL EDITOR FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
PUBLISHED: 17:41 EST, 23 February 2015 | UPDATED: 15:19 EST, 24 February 2015

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[From article]
Gov. Charlie Baker fired four members of the Health Connector Board, including MIT professor Jonathan Gruber Wednesday.
Gruber drew national attention when he suggested that President Barack Obama's administration pulled the wool over voters' eyes with the Affordable Care Act.
He later apologized.
All four Deval Patrick appointees were asked for the resignation, and they tendered them today.
"As with all incoming administrations, I am establishing a new leadership team and I have instructed those individuals to take a fresh look at the Connector and to implement ideas to improve the operation of that important state entity," an excerpt of the letter that was sent to those who resigned said.

http://www.wcvb.com/politics/baker-fires-4-members-of-health-connector-board/31483370

Baker fires 4 members of Health Connector Board
MIT professor Jonathan Gruber among those fired
Published 6:02 PM EST Feb 25, 2015

WCVB-TV Boston MA