Ten Dem senators urge HHS to extend enrollment deadline

Ten Senate Democrats sent a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius on Friday urging her to extend the ObamaCare enrollment deadline because of the problems plaguing the ObamaCare website.

{mosads}Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) initiated the letter. Earlier this week, she emerged as the first Senate Democrat to publicly call for a delay to the healthcare law to accommodate consumers experiencing issues with the website.

“As long as these substantial technology glitches persist, we are losing valuable time to educate and enroll people in insurance plans,” the letter reads in part. “Our constituents are frustrated, and we fear that the longer the website is not functional, opportunities for people to log on, learn about their insurance choices, and enroll will be lost.”

Sens. Mark Begich (D-Alaska), Mark Pryor (D-Ark.), Mary Landrieu (D-La.), Kay Hagan (D-N.C.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Mark Udall (D-Colo.), Tom Udall (D-N.M.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) also signed the letter.

Begich, Hagan, Landrieu and Pryor are red-state Democrats facing tough reelection bids in 2014. Bennett, Shaheen and Udall hail from purple states and could be vulnerable in a midterm election.
 
“Given the existing problems with healthcare.gov and other state-run marketplace websites that depend on the federally-administered website, we urge you to consider extending open enrollment beyond the current end date of March 31, 2014,” the letter continues. 

“Extending this period will give consumers critical time in which to become familiar with the website and choose a plan that is best for them. Individuals should not be penalized for lack of coverage if they are unable to purchase health insurance due to technical problems.”

The White House has already pushed back the deadline to buy health insurance by six weeks, as Democrats voiced concerns that the botched ObamaCare rollout would hurt their 2014 election bids and potentially prevent them from taking the House.


ObamaCare requires people to have health insurance by March 31, 2014. To guarantee the coverage, people must begin the process of applying for insurance no later than Feb. 15.

Under the change, people who have signed up for insurance by the end of March will not face a penalty, even if they do not actually have the insurance.

Shaheen and the nine other Democrats are urging the White House to push back the March 31 deadline.