Deadlines, like records, are made to be broken. Or at least adjusted with an asterisk.
The Obama administration has decided to adjust yet another one related to health coverage. Responding to the mountains of evidence that many of those for whom coverage was specifically designed aren't getting the information they need to register, the administration said it would alter the enrollment period this fall for acquiring coverage via the public exchanges. It's another attempt to fine-tune enrollment and, this time, to try to unlink it from tax season.
Enrollment for 2015 coverage began Nov. 15 and ended Feb. 15. Next time around, the administration plans to start sooner — Nov. 1, 2015 — and cut it off a bit sooner — Jan. 31, 2016.
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The main driver behind the latest fine-tuning attempt are reports that many who lack insurance weren't aware of the tax penalty for not having coverage, despite the frenzied marketing campaign unleashed by the administration.
Those reports motivated the administration to add a new deadline period: a March 15 to April 30 period so that those who didn't realize they'd have to pay a penalty could still opt for purchasing coverage via the exchanges.
"Our intention is that this is one year only for people who have not been in the communication loop around the tax penalty," said Andy Slavitt, Principal Deputy Administrator for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, U.S. Department of health and Human Services.
The administration's efforts to improve the enrollment process comes amidst lobbying from two main groups: insurers, who have pushed for an enrollment period that's tied to the fiscal rather than tax year; and healthcare officials, who think the enrollment period should extend into the spring because signups during the winter holidays drop off dramatically.
Healthcare advocates have long called for an enrollment period that extends through the spring, warning that outreach is tougher during the winter holidays. Insurers have lobbied for earlier enrollment periods that align more closely with fiscal years to simplify enrollment.
CMS said that, among other things, the new enrollment period was designed to improve the communication process with the public.
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Dan Cook
Dan Cook is a journalist and communications consultant based in Portland, OR. During his journalism career he has been a reporter and editor for a variety of media companies, including American Lawyer Media, BusinessWeek, Newhouse Newspapers, Knight-Ridder, Time Inc., and Reuters. He specializes in health care and insurance related coverage for BenefitsPRO.
