Actuaries: ACA delays would cause chaos

An organization representing the country’s actuarial industry warned lawmakers on Wednesday that proposed delays to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) would cause chaos in the marketplace.

{mosads}“Delaying the implementation of the ACA’s individual mandate or extending the enrollment period for obtaining coverage could have negative consequences for health insurance coverage and costs,” the American Academy of Actuaries (AAA) said in a statement.

AAA said the delays could result in premium-collections that aren’t sufficient to cover claims, a higher than anticipated number of uninsured individuals, increased costs to the federal government and higher insurance premiums in 2015.

“Policymakers need to consider the implications of delaying the individual mandate or extending the open enrollment period before taking action,” the Academy’s senior fellow, Cori Uccello, said.

According to the AAA, the limited open enrollment period and the individual mandate were critical components in determining the 2014 premium rates and to ensuring a diverse risk pool.

Democrats in the House and Senate have proposed legislation that would delay the individual health insurance mandate penalties under ObamaCare until the HealthCare.gov site is fully functional.


A host of others have proposed extending the enrollment period, arguing consumers striving to meet the deadlines have been thwarted by the malfunctioning website.

The healthcare law requires that people have health insurance by March 31, 2014, or face fines.