Obama administration will allow more time to enroll in health care on federal marketplace

[PoliticAverse]

Source: Washington Post

The Obama administration has decided to give extra time to Americans who say that they are unable to enroll in health-care plans through the federal insurance marketplace by the March 31 deadline.

Federal officials confirmed Tuesday evening that all consumers who have begun to apply for coverage on HealthCare.gov, but who do not finish by Monday, will have until about mid-April to ask for an extension.

Under the new rules, people will be able to qualify for an extension by checking a blue box on HealthCare.gov to indicate that they tried to enroll before the deadline. This method will rely on an honor system; the government will not try to determine whether the person is telling the truth.

The rules, which will apply to the federal exchanges operating in three dozen states, will essentially create a large loophole even as White House officials have repeatedly said that the March 31 deadline was firm. The extra time will not technically alter the deadline but will create a broad new category of people eligible for what’s known as a special enrollment period.

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/obama-administration-will-allow-more-time-to-enroll-in-health-care-on-federal-marketplace/2014/03/25/d0458338-b449-11e3-8cb6-284052554d74_story.html

[Iliyah]

1. GOPers calling foul!

[rocktivity]

7. Now, there's a coincidence

I call GOPers foul, too!


rocktivity

[alp227]

15. Vote 50 times to stop the ACA, AND complain?

Can't have it both ways, right wingers.

[bigwillq]

2. I think this is a good idea.

[reformist2]

3. I'm liking this new loosey-goosey style of the federal gov't.

[Travis_0004]

4. Will you feel the same way when there is a republican in charge?

[1StrongBlackMan]

5. Depending on the issue ...

ABSOLUTELY!

After all, this is giving people more time to comply with the law.

ETA: No one is harmed by the extension ... except those rooting against the ACA.

[phleshdef]

12. Wow, never heard a liberal equating fairness to "loosey-goosey" before.

[FailureToCommunicate]

6. ...all consumers who have (already) BEGUN to apply. Any procratiators out there,

especially you healthy whippersnapper 'immortals', please take note!

[Middle Molly]

8. Thank heavens!

I first tried to apply back in late October or November and I can't remember the one-thing-after-another that held me up back then.. Probably the crashing website. Then I received an email telling me that I needed to start the process again and apply under a different name; OK fine. Then for some reason I had to be rejected from Medicaid before I could continue; that took a few weeks. Then I received a message that I had to email my Social Security benefits statement to somebody. That was a month ago, and that's where I am now. So I'm still waiting to get approved to actually apply, and I've been worried that I wouldn't get that approval regarding my SS benefits until it was too late.

So this is a very good thing, and I'm sure it is a good thing for many hundreds of thousands of people.

Republicans can stick it, as far as I'm concerned. People still have to register and start the process by March 31st, but the actual process of getting approved for the tax credits can take time, so this is good.

Thanks, Obama administration!

[Cha]

9. Sorry for your struggle on this, MMolly.. hope it all gets

worked out for you!

[Purveyor]

10. debacle. eom

[truthisfreedom]

11. I could see that coming.

Barack loves to drive the wingers crazy. Every opportunity he rubs their nose in their ineffectual attempts to shut down his greatest accomplishment. Building in his ability to tweak Obamacare was so brilliant. They're absolutely pulling their hair out.

[BlueStreak]

13. I thought they were against the mandate. The extra time means fewer will pay the penalty

I would have thought Republicans would like that.

There's just no pleasing them.

If they think it is Unconstitutional, then they should raise articles of impeachment and see how that goes. Honestly I think a lot of these gray area moves by Obama are an attempt to trick the Republicans into impeaching him. If he could draw them into impeachment hearings, that could definitely flip the 2014 election our direction.

[Arkana]

14. How is this a bad thing?

More time means more people get a chance to sign up.