While the small business insurance exchanges established by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act will officially open Oct. 1, online registration and resources will not be fully functional until November, according to a CNN report.
A call center will be available to discuss options with small business owners, and coverage can be applied for using a paper application, according to the report.
Additionally, The Hill reports the Spanish-language enrollment site will not be ready by Oct. 1. According to the report, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said the delay is not expected to significantly impact Hispanic enrollment in the exchanges, as most are projected to use the English-language site and Spanish-speaking support will be available over the phone for those who need it.
Republican lawmakers have pointed to both delays as evidence of the PPACA’s unworkability. "Give me a break," Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) said in a statement. "This law will never be ready for primetime, because this is what happens when Washington takes over healthcare."
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