With less than three weeks remaining in the Affordable Care Act's open enrollment period, most consumers believe the government should lengthen the deadline to give people more of an opportunity to secure coverage without incurring a penalty, based on new polling data.
Between March 4 and 6, more than 1,100 adults were recently asked about the enrollment deadline, which occurs on March 31. More than half – 54 percent – said they would push back the cutoff date for securing a plan, whether obtaining them was through the exchanges or via employee benefits, according to coverage plan information website HealthPocket.
"After the March 31, 2014 deadline, most uninsured Americans will not be able to get new coverage January 1, 2015," the report stated. "This ObamaCare Lock Out Period will apply to everyone unless they have an exceptional life event that grants a special enrollment period."
An example of what will be accepted as a legitimate reason for not having secured coverage is child birth, or if a change in employment were to affect their eligibility to receive financial assistance.
Theoretically, lengthening the deadline would also give more people who are uninsured the opportunity to buy coverage, which is the main reason why the Affordable Care Act was passed – so the millions of Americans could buy plans thanks to greater availability. However, recent analysis suggests few people without benefits are taking advantage.
Only one in 10 uninsured Americans between the ages of 18 and 84 said that they had shopped in one of the health exchange marketplaces since the October rollout, social public policy organization the Urban Institute found. Approximately 17 percent said that they hadn't looked for a plan but intended to do so. Meanwhile, nearly half said that not only hadn't they inquired about coverage through the exchanges, they didn't intend to do so.
