Federal officials are extending the deadline to enroll in health insurance coverage under the Affordable Care Act for plans that start Jan. 1, according to a Politico report.
Here are three things to know about the extension.
1. Faced with "unprecedented demand" for ACA insurance plans on the federal exchange, officials Tuesday night extended the enrollment deadline for coverage effective Jan. 1 by 48 hours. The deadline, originally Dec. 15, is now 11:59 p.m. PST Dec. 17.
2. The extension comes after call center lines were temporarily overwhelmed this week as consumers tried to enroll in health insurance coverage ahead of the enrollment deadline. During the surge, callers left their telephone numbers so officials could return calls later to arrange for coverage. CMS also offered an electronic "waiting room" for people trying to log into their HealthCare.gov accounts, according to Politico.
3. Aside from the extension for customers of HealthCare.gov, some state-based exchanges have also set later deadlines to enroll for plans that start Jan. 1. New York is giving consumers until Dec. 19 to enroll, Massachusetts residents have until Dec. 23 and Minnesota residents have until Dec. 28.
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