Another Obamacare Delay: HHS Pushes Back Insurance Plan Finalization, Casting More Doubt On ACA’s Successful Implementation
On Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) notified insurance companies that final agreements on insurance plans would be signed in mid-September, one or two weeks later than previously agreed upon. The delay is one in a series of implementation setbacks (see here, here, here, and here), giving way to doubts that reforms under the Affordable Care Act (or Obamacare) will take place on time.
"It makes me wonder if open enrollment can start on October 1," a former Obama administration official told the Reuters. "But having everything ready on October 1 is not a critical issue. What matters to people is January 1, which is when the coverage is supposed to start. If that were delayed, it would be a substantive setback."
According to the Reuters, HHS spokeswoman Joanne Peters was vague about the reason for the most recent delay. She said that the agency was “providing [insurance companies with] additional flexibility and time to handle technical requests” in response to “feedback.” Boston Business Journal reported early Wednesday that the delay may have been due to technology problems involving the display of insurance products.
But Peters maintains that, despite some setbacks, the marketplaces set to open on Oct. 1 will still do so on time. Peters follows the trend among the Obama administration, keeping composure amid concerns about the Affordable Care Act’s successful implementation.
For more on the Affordable Care Act’s most recent developments, take a look at Medical Daily’s ongoing coverage.