Dem-backed bill delays O-Care mandate

Two senators are moving forward with a bill to delay ObamaCare’s individual mandate for one year in light of the massive problems facing the federal enrollment website.

Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin (W.Va.) and Republican Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) unveiled legislation to eliminate the $95 penalty set to hit people who do not carry insurance, starting in April.

{mosads}”This commonsense proposal simply allows Americans to take more time to browse and explore their options, making 2014 a true transition year,” Manchin said in a statement.

The bill had no additional co-sponsors as of Thursday afternoon, but it is expected to gain traction, as HealthCare.gov remains mired in problems.

Federal health officials have set a deadline of Nov. 30 for fixing the broken site, but the repair effort appears to be moving slowly.

Critics argue that the users deserve relief from the mandate penalty if they’re not able to easily purchase health coverage online.

“Healthcare should not be a burden on consumers, which is why we must delay the penalty for individuals,” Kirk said in a statement.

There is strong opposition to delaying the individual mandate among health insurers, and the Obama administration says it’s not considering the move.

Underscoring these views, the American Academy of Actuaries warned this week that postponing the mandate penalties would cause chaos in the individual insurance market.

“Without the individual mandate and limited open enrollment period, premiums would likely be higher and more individuals would be uninsured than otherwise would occur,” the Academy wrote to lawmakers.

It remains to be seen how many Senate Democrats would join Manchin in supporting the delay.

Eleven upper-chamber Democrats are pushing the administration to extend the open enrollment period ending March 31, including several members facing reelection in 2014.

But that move could still mean that late registrants face penalties under the individual mandate.