Obama Administration: We Never Mean a Word We Say

by Amy Payne, Heritage Foundation, March 26, 2014

This isn’t even a laugh line anymore. It’s just an eye roller. And how silly these guys look now:

“We have no plans to extend the open enrollment period. In fact, we don’t actually have the statutory authority to extend the open enrollment period in 2014.” — Health and Human Services (HHS) official Julie Bataille, March 11

“Once that 2014 open enrollment period has been set, they are set permanently.” – HHS official Michael Hash, March 11

“March 31st is the deadline for enrollment. You’ve heard us make that clear.” – Press Secretary Jay Carney, March 21

“There is no delay beyond March 31.” – HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, March 12

There was no delay…until there was. The Washington Post reported last night that March 31 is not, in fact, the final word. To get more time, you tell the government that you haven’t been able to sign up yet:

Under the new rules, people will be able to qualify for an extension by checking a blue box on HealthCare.gov to indicate that they tried to enroll before the deadline. This method will rely on an honor system; the government will not try to determine whether the person is telling the truth.

Excellent plan. Sounds very similar to the expanded hardship exemption from the individual mandate—where the administration essentially said having your policy canceled by Obamacare was a new hardship that had to be accommodated. And all you have to say is that you “believe” other insurance policies available to you are unaffordable.

So the administration’s word means nothing, but officials expect the rest of America to operate on the honor system.

After years of Obamacare delays and changes, the administration has lost all credibility.

Americans deserve better. You deserve patient-centered health reform that is true to its purpose: giving you more choices and better value. You deserve to control your own health care—and not to have to worry what the whims of government bureaucrats will be tomorrow.

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