Another Obamacare 'delay' that really isn't a 'delay'

Joan McCarter

Daily Kos Staff

Wednesday March 26, 2014 · 10:11 AM PDT

2014/03/26 · 10:11

no image description available — Here we go again.

President Barack Obama listens to comments while meeting with healthcare stakeholders in the Roosevelt Room at White House May 11, 2009. At right is Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Here we go again.

Cue the false outrage: the Obama administration has announced that it's extending the March 31 Obamacare enrollment deadline for people who have already begun the application process by March 31, but haven't been able to finish the application.

"Another day, another Obamacare delay," said Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ), as GOP lawmakers expressed their frustration with the latest delay to the President's health reform law. […]
Officials said last night that the deadline has not changed, that it remains March 31—but if individuals need extra time to finish their applications, they will get that, a distinction without a difference for critics of the health reform law. […]

For those wondering—in §1311 of the health law, the HHS Secretary is given the power to set dates for enrollment—so there is your legal underpinning for any date change.

House Majority Leader is one of those apparently wondering:

The implementation of ObamaCare is decided more by the whims of the White House political office than by the words written in the law.
— @GOPLeader

D'oh. I guess that's what Cantor gets for not actually, you know, reading the law.

And, by the way, this isn't the first time an administration has extended a health care deadline: "With pressure mounting to extend next Monday's enrollment deadline for the Medicare prescription-drug benefit, the Bush administration took another small step in that direction Tuesday, waiving penalty fees for very low-income seniors and people with disabilities who sign up late."

Another Obamacare 'delay' that really isn't a 'delay'

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