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  • Sebelius: Extra Time ‘Not An Extension of Open Enrollment’

    03.26.2014 | News | |

    Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, during an interview on WJBK-TV Wednesday, said that the Obama administration’s decision yesterday to extend the March 31st enrollment deadline to mid-April and thereby allowing Americans more time to pick and purchase health insurance from healthcare.gov was “a very logical way to make sure people get through the system.”

    A WJBK-TV Detroit reporter asked Sebelius, “In March, you testified that you would not extend this March 31st deadline, just a little bit ago. So what happened? Is this an extension? Is this a delay? Is this another problem?

    “It’s none of the above,” Sebelius responded.

    “What we did in December, we’re doing again. Which is to say if you’re in line on March 31 at midnight, if you’re trying to get through the system and the volume is higher than expected, we want to make sure you actually can complete the process and buy health insurance.”

    Indeed, just two weeks ago during a House Ways and Means Committee hearing where Rep. Kevin Brady (R-Texas) asked Sebelius directly if she expected delays to the individual mandate or the March 31st enrollment deadline, Sebelius said “No sir.” It has also been reported that the Obama administration does not require the legal authority to extend the enrollment period.

    But the administration’s decision yesterday to delay, I mean extend…err, move (?) the enrollment window to mid-April changed all that.

    Americans can now qualify for an enrollment extension by checking a blue box on HealthCare.gov. The blue box would indicate that they tried to enroll before the March 31st deadline, but couldn’t complete the process.

    Wapo:

    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.

    Barack Obama has now based 1/6th of the U.S. economy on an “honor system.”


    Jerome Hudson

    Managing Editor

    Jerome Hudson has written for numerous national outlets, including The Hill, National Review, and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and was recognized as one of Florida’s emerging stars, having been included in the list “25 Under 30: Florida’s Rising Young Political Class.” Hudson is a Savannah, Ga. native who currently resides in Florida.

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