ObamaCare Enrollment Extension Request Denied

Healthcare.gov screenshot.

The Trump Administration declined to extend the HealthCare.gov sign-up period amid a last-minute surge of enrollees.

The enrollment period ended Friday, Dec. 15, 2017, at midnight.

The Obama Administration, in previous years, consistently extended the deadline for a few days to accommodate the high number of enrollees who wait until the last minute to enroll.

The Trump Administration declined to give such an extension.

Congressional Democrats had pushed for a Jan. 31 extension, which would have mad the sign-up period at the same length as previous years.

The period was about half as long this year.

Gov. David Ige had joined the governors of three other states asking the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to extend the Open Enrollment period for states using HealthCare.gov by one week.

Gov. Ige, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, Oregon Gov. Kate Brown and Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe sent a letter to Acting Secretary Eric D. Hargan, asking for the extension, citing long waiting periods to complete online applications.

The elimination of the Jan. 15 and Jan. 31 deadlines has resulted in a compressed enrollment period and therefore heavier enrollments leading up to the Dec. 15 deadline.

Gov. Ige and his fellow governors said they had a responsibility to look out for the health and wellbeing of their constituents and an extension of the Open Enrollment deadline is a reasonable step.

Those who missed the deadline can go online to assess coverage options.