2015 Obamacare enrollment delayed until after election; WH says it’s not political

2015 Obamacare enrollment delayed until after election; WH says it’s not political

The chief spokesman for the most political White House in modern history claimed at Tuesday’s daily briefing that the decision to delay open enrollment into Obamacare until mid-November, 11 days after the midterm elections, was not political in nature.

ABC News White House correspondent Jonathan Karl questioned the administration’s decision to delay enrollment in the Affordable Care Act until after the election.

“Why is it that last year October 1 was the date; now it is November 15?” asked Karl, according to Breitbart News.

Press secretary Josh Earnest asserted that the decision to delay enrollment was made by “something other than politics,” which was a peculiar answer. Karl never brought up politics. He didn’t even mention the looming election in which the Democrats’ hold on the Senate is swinging in the balance.

“This date for the beginning of this enrollment period was determined months, if not years ago,” Josh said, and insisted it was set by “experts” in the Department of Health and Human Services.

Consumers were shocked at last year’s open enrollment to discover their premiums, deductibles and co-pays had skyrocketed, while their coverage had declined. Many states are expecting things to worsen–including double-digit premium increases–in 2015.

For example, the Miami Herald reported Aug. 4:

Floridians who buy health insurance on the individual market for next year will face an average increase of 13.2 percent in their monthly premiums, according to rate proposals unveiled Monday by the state’s Office of Insurance Regulation.

The rate proposals affect all Affordable Care Act-compliant health plans on the individual market, whether they’re sold through the federally-run exchange or not. Small and large group health plans typically offered by employers were not included in the data released by the state.

But these are all proposals and estimates. Consumers won’t have any exact figures until the open enrollment period begins–after the election.

In a similar move, the Army announced last month that the investigation and report on the suspected deserter and possible Taliban collaborator Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl was now complete but wouldn’t be released quite yet. The Army now says it needs more time to review the report, according to The Hill, which reported:

The Obama administration secured Bergdahl’s release in May in exchange for releasing five senior Taliban detainees from the Guantánamo Bay detention facility, a swap that sparked anger on Capitol Hill from both Democrats and Republicans.

The administration said it had ignored a law requiring it to notify members of Congress 30-days ahead of any detainee release from the facility, since it conflicted with the president’s constitutional right to protect Americans overseas, and out of concern that a leak could derail the deal and endanger Bergdahl or his rescuers.

As for the delay, reported to be lengthy and presumably after the election, “the Army’s priority is ensuring that our process is thorough, factually accurate, impartial, and legally correct,” Army spokesman Wayne Hall said, according to The Hill.

Noticeably missing is the word, “political.”

It’s all non-political? Got it. And God didn’t make little green apples either.

Michael Dorstewitz

Michael Dorstewitz

Michael Dorstewitz is a recovering Michigan trial lawyer and former research vessel deck officer. He has written extensively for BizPac Review.

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