Change: Obama Secretly Extends Enrollment Deadline By One Day

He Hearts Secret Laws.

At midnight Monday, the official deadline arrives for Americans to sign up through the new federal health insurance exchange for health plans that begin Jan. 1. But, without any public announcement, Obama administration officials have changed the rules so that people will have an extra day to enroll, according to two individuals with knowledge of the switch.

Over the weekend, government officials and outside IT contractors working on the online marketplace’s computer system made a software change that automatically gives people a Jan. 1 start date for their coverage as long as they enroll by 11:59 p.m. Christmas Eve.

A source says the Secret Extension was mandated by Obama's Princely Right in order to offer a back-stop should the system go down on December 23 due to a rush of sign-ups.

According to the two individuals, both of whom spoke on condition of anonymity about a matter that is not public, the one-day extension is automatic, built into the software, and cannot be overridden by individual insurers if they object.

...

In recent days, insurance industry leaders have protested other 11th-hour rule changes by the administration....

On Monday morning, one insurance industry official, informed by The Washington Post about the quiet deadline extension, criticized the move. “Making yet another last-minute change to the rules by shortening an already-tight time period in which to process enrollments makes it even harder to ensure people who have selected a plan are able to have their coverage begin in January,” said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the change has not been made public.

Below, a picture of the White House Ready Room as they debated this newest Presidential Secret Law.

via @danriehl and @harrietbaldwin

posted by Ace at 01:58 PM

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