The CMS is extending the Affordable Care Act open enrollment period for 2020 exchange coverage after reports that some customers experienced technical difficulties while attempting to sign up for a plan on Sunday, the deadline to enroll.
The agency is extending open enrollment starting at 3 p.m. (EST) Monday to 3 a.m. (EST) Wednesday, Dec. 18 “to accommodate consumers who attempted to enroll in coverage during the final hours of open enrollment but who may have experienced issues,” a CMS spokesperson said in an emailed statement.
“CMS’s primary goal is to provide a seamless Open Enrollment experience for HealthCare.gov consumers and ensure that those Americans who want coverage offered through the Exchange can enroll in a plan,” the statement read.
An extension of the signup period was suggested after HealthCare.gov customers reported website outages and wait times while trying to enroll on Sunday, the final day to choose a plan for Jan. 1 coverage.
“This additional time will give consumers the opportunity to come back and complete their enrollment for January 1 coverage. While the website and the call center remained open for business on December 15 with over half a million consumers enrolling throughout the day, some consumers were asked to leave their name at the call center,” The statement continued. “Those consumers who have already left their contact information at the call center do not need to come back and apply during this extension because a call center representative will follow up with them later this week.”