As Twitchy reported Thursday, at least three states are considering adding “special” enrollment periods for Obamacare, carefully timed to coordinate with the shock of fines and tax penalties.
Eleven senators have written a letter to the Department of Health and Human Services in favor of the added enrollment periods, among them Sen. Tammy Baldwin. Democrat Baldwin was pleased to announce that the New York Times editorial board agrees with the plan.
.@nytopinion: When One Penalty Is Enough "The more people covered, the better — for them & for health care reform." http://t.co/wu3Aj7E3MU
— Sen. Tammy Baldwin (@SenatorBaldwin) February 20, 2015
.@nytimes editorial board agrees w/ Sen Baldwin's call for special #ACA enrollment period http://t.co/wu3Aj7msok pic.twitter.com/shjtwx7zHC
— Sen. Tammy Baldwin (@SenatorBaldwin) February 20, 2015
What does the New York Times have to add?
Millions of Americans may be in for a shock when they file tax returns and learn that they have to pay a fine for failing to enroll in health insurance in 2014 and an even bigger fine for failing to enroll in 2015 before the enrollment period ended on Feb. 15. While there is nothing they can do to avoid the 2014 fine, which must be paid this year, they could avoid the 2015 fine, payable next year, if the Obama administration allowed them more time to enroll.
The government should open a special enrollment period that lasts beyond April 15, the traditional filing time for most taxpayers. That would be fair to millions of consumers who remain uninformed about the health care law and ignorant about the subsidies it provides and the penalties for failing to enroll.
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If a Bloomberg analysis shows that healthcare.gov has cost about $2.1 billion so far, how much did the government spend on marketing this monstrosity? The president signed the Affordable Care Act in March 2010, and it’s still a shock to millions that it carries a penalty for not having health insurance?
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