Government officials moved the sign up deadline to Dec. 19 for individuals looking to gain health insurance Jan. 1 by enrolling in health plans on the federal exchange, The Washington Post reports.
The Thursday night decision is the second consecutive year federal officials extended the original Dec. 15 deadline. Director and CEO of the Health Insurance Marketplace Kevin Counihan said a large volume of customers visiting the HealthCare.gov website and contacting call centers influenced the decision. Mr. Counihan said about 1 million customers left their contact information to hold their place in a waiting line, according to the report.
CMS officials said nearly 4 million people had selected a health plan through the federal exchange at the start of this week, and anticipate about 11 million Americans will have ACA health plan coverage next year.
The final deadline for 2017 coverage is Jan. 31. The Dec. 19 deadline assures coverage beginning Jan. 1.