WASHINGTON – Consumers trying to sign up for health insurance ahead of a looming deadline are getting snagged by technical difficulties, the Obama administration said Saturday.
Administration spokeswoman Katie Hill said some people trying to get coverage under President Barack Obama’s health-care law haven’t been able to get their income information electronically verified.
That’s crucial because the amount of financial assistance to help pay premiums is based on people’s income. The health-care law offers subsidized private insurance to people who don’t have coverage on the job. More than 8 in 10 of those who apply qualify for help. Without it, most can’t afford the coverage.
The Internal Revenue Service handles income verification for HealthCare.gov. In a statement, Hill said the problem was because of issues with “external verification sources.”
People who previously submitted their income details – but hadn’t completed the final step of picking a plan – still were able to do so.
The technical problems tied up some consumers who’d come out Saturday to an enrollment event in the central Illinois city of Jacksonville.
“They were frustrated, but they were nice about it,” said Miranda Clark, who was helping people sign up. “They can come back (Sunday) or call ... or log back into their account and do it on their own.”
Officials posted an advisory on the home page of HealthCare.gov, reassuring consumers that they still would be able to get coverage once the glitch is resolved: “Keep checking back for updates.”
The official deadline in the 37 states served by HealthCare.gov is 2:59 a.m. Eastern time Monday.
Last year, HealthCare.gov stumbled at the start. Numerous technical problems with the website were a huge headache for consumers, and an embarrassment for the tech-savvy White House. This year, the process had worked fairly smoothly.
Associated Press writer Carla K. Johnson in Chicago contributed to this report.
