Delay Obamacare? Not As Easy As You Think

More and more Democrats worried about the 2014 election are beginning to join the Republican call to delay the Obamacare enrollment season.

But it’s not as easy as bumping things back a few days on the calendar.

Insurance companies would raise a ruckus because they set their prices based on customers enrolling before April. The Obama administration doesn’t want to push the successful enrollment stories until any later than they have to. And neither want to give procrastinators another reason to wait to sign up.

“Here’s the irony of ironies: The insurance industry is ready for Obamacare on Jan. 1. Obamacare is not ready for Obamacare on Jan. 1,” said Robert Laszewski, an insurance industry consultant with Health Policy and Strategy Associates.

In fact, insurance companies have a lot to lose from a delay. They need to start racking up paying customers as early as possible in 2014 so they can set rates for 2015.


Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2013/10/obamacare-enrollment-delay-democrats-98877.html#ixzz2is3PKEmm