People who attempted to sign up for health plans through the federal exchange but couldn't because of technical problems will get extra time to enroll, according to a report from The New York Times.
The Obama administration has announced it will extend the open enrollment period — scheduled to end March 31 — for certain people who can demonstrate they weren't able to get health insurance because of errors on the part of HHS or HealthCare.gov, according to the report.
HealthCare.gov experienced numerous technical problems following its launch this past October. Although repair efforts have improved the site's functionality, consumer advocates say the website still experiences some glitches, such as displaying inaccurate premiums for some health plans, according to the report.
On March 17, CMS Administrator Marilyn Tavenner wrote in a blog post that the number of people who have enrolled in health plans through the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act health insurance exchanges had reached 5 million because of a "weekend wave" of consumers signing up for health insurance.
Healthcare business advisory company Avalere Health has released an analysis estimating 5.4 million people will enroll in health plans through the exchanges by March 31, the end of the 2014 open enrollment period. Still, despite the possibility of a late surge in enrollment, Avalere predicted the exchanges will fall short of 6 million, the most recent Congressional Budget Office estimate.
More Articles on PPACA Enrollment:
10 State-Based PPACA Exchanges With the Highest Enrollment
10 States Crucial to PPACA Exchange Enrollment
PPACA Enrollment Reaches 5M