Health Law Gurus

Deadline to Enroll in Health Insurance Coverage Extended through December 24

Along with stocking stuffers and gifts, last-minute Christmas shoppers have another item to put on their list: another chance to purchase health insurance coverage through the Federal Insurance Exchange.  The Obama Administration announced yesterday that consumers seeking health insurance coverage on a Federal Exchange to start on January 1, 2014 will have until midnight on December 24^th to enroll in a plan. Those seeking coverage through a state exchange may have a different deadline. This extension marks the second time the Administration has pushed back the deadline; originally slated for December 15^th, the deadline was then pushed back to December 23^rd with the aim of giving consumers more time to enroll in a plan with coverage starting on January 1, 2014. This latest one-day reprieve was precipitated by what the Administration called record-high traffic to HealthCare.gov, the website that facilitates the Federal Exchange, causing some consumers to be left in the cold when seeking to enroll by yesterday’s deadline. Check back with the Health Law Gurus™ for the latest updates on the implementation of the Affordable Care Act.