WASHINGTON -- Friday is the last day to enroll for subsidized private coverage in the 39 states served by federal health insurance exchanges, and consumer interest has remained brisk.
Advocates' closing push to increase enrollment received a boost Monday from former President Barack Obama, who offered encouragement by posting on social media and joining a conference call with enrollment counselors.
On the call, Obama accused "Republicans in Washington" of trying to "sabotage" progress in reducing the number of uninsured Americans. The American people "don't want a health care system that's sent into chaos just for partisan reasons," Obama said, according to a transcript provided by his office.
President Donald Trump took office looking to dismantle his predecessor's health law, but it has so far survived. Although the administration slashed the advertising budget for signup season, scaled back grants for enrollment counselors and cut the signup season from 90 days to 45, officials promised that the HealthCare.gov website would work seamlessly this year.
Consumer advocates reported some glitches Monday, but the Trump administration seemed to have largely kept its promise.
In Illinois, some consumers who successfully completed an application for financial assistance through HealthCare.gov got a message saying they would likely be eligible to buy a health plan but that "none are available to you in your area."
That information was incorrect because every county in the nation currently has at least one health insurer offering plans under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act for next year.
Stephani Becker of the Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law in Chicago said the glitch was reported by counselors starting late last week and again on Monday. It also surfaced in other states, she said.
Trained counselors know enough about the program to question the accuracy of the message, but "the average consumer might just walk away," Becker said.
An administration official said the issue has been resolved, and HealthCare.gov is reaching out to the consumers affected to encourage them to complete their applications. However, Becker said advocates had gotten a similar response from the administration last week.
For millions of consumers eligible to enroll, time runs out this week. Thursday and Friday are expected to be the heaviest days. For many people, this is the last opportunity to secure coverage for 2018 or switch from an existing plan.
But there are exceptions, including for people living in hurricane-affected areas who can get an extension to sign up by Dec. 31 by contacting the HealthCare.gov call center.
That could make a difference in states such Florida, Texas, and Georgia.
Enrollment fluctuates in the course of the year, but it's estimated that 9 million to 10 million people currently have coverage through the insurance marketplaces.
Under Obama, officials allowed a grace period for consumers who started an application but were unable to finish by the midnight Pacific time deadline.
It's unclear whether the Trump administration will allow such extensions or whether it will strictly enforce the deadline hour. Previous extensions allowed hundreds of thousands of consumers to enroll.
A Section on 12/12/2017