AEI scholar predicts January ACA train wreck

The Obama administration's decision to extend the deadline for purchasing insurance from a federal- or state-run exchange is likely to cause problems for consumers and insurance companies in January, according to American Enterprise Institute scholar Joe Antos. Due to problems with HealthCare.gov, the federal healthcare exchange website, the White House pushed back to Dec. 23 from Dec. 15 the deadline for purchasing insurance policies that become effective Jan. 1. The new deadline doesn't provide insurance companies sufficient time to process orders and confirm the identity of customers, Antos said. As a result, many consumers who purchase insurance on an exchange close to the deadline may find it impossible to access care in early January. "Rolling into January, there are going to be thousands of people who will go to the doctor and find they are not on the books. That's going to be a traumatic experience for many people," Antos noted.

Paul Keckley, a healthcare analyst and former executive director of the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions, predicted that many people who purchase insurance in the marketplaces will have difficulties obtaining coverage in January. Documenting enrollment between Dec. 23 and Jan. 1 is "an astronomical mountain for the insurance companies to climb," Keckley said. "I expect it will be ugly." ...