Posted on 10/21/2013 12:07:24 PM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
White House press secretary Jay Carney hedged Monday on whether ObamaCares individual mandate could be delayed because of problems with the healthcare laws enrollment web site.
Carney did not directly say the individual mandate could be delayed, but he did say that if people could not get access to ObamaCare, they would not be penalized.
Under the healthcare law, uninsured Americans are required to sign up for health insurance. If they dont, they could be hit with a fine.
Carney was asked Monday if people would have to pay a fine if they couldnt enroll in ObamaCare because of a glitchy website that the administration has struggled to fix.
Carney said that those without access to affordable care due to a state not expanding Medicaid or other factors would not be penalized. A number of states have decided against accepting federal money to expand Medicaid under ObamaCare.
Carney then dodged a question about whether the website could be one of those factors.
We are focused on implementing the law and ensuring that people have the information they need, Carney said.
In an interview later Monday on MSNBC, White House communications director Jen Palmieri said the administration doesn't think it will have to make the decision because it expects to fix the healthcare law's problems.
"If we don't have it fixed in time is a hypothetical that we don't expect to encounter," Palmieri said. "We're taking this day by day and we're making progress every day. And we're going to keep at it and in the meantime, we're going to find these options of other ways for people to enroll."
Republicans have said Obama should delay the tax penalty because of the websites technical problems. Does the president think Americans should be taxed for not buying a product from a website that doesnt work and may not for some time? Brendan Buck, a spokesman for House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), said Monday.
Carney didnt give a direct answer on whether the administration could delay the requirement to buy insurance because of website problems.
The law is clear that if you do not have access to affordable health insurance, then you will not be asked to pay a penalty because you haven't purchased affordable health insurance, Carney said.
Separately, Carney also said there existed a disconnect between the enrollment period for the healthcare law, and the time frame for when people must have health insurance.
Under the law, Americans must be covered by March 31, 2014 in order to avoid paying a penalty. But that means that they would likely need to purchase insurance by Feb. 15, because coverage typically starts on the first day of a given month and takes up to 15 days to process.
The Department of Health and Human Services may change the requirement so that uninsured Americans need only to have attempted to purchase coverage rather than actually be insured by the March 31 deadline.
How would they know if anyone “tried but failed” to enroll?
This child came out of what school system?
How long will idiots be allowed to address their idiot colleagues/co-conspirators at Whitehouse “press conferences”?
Good Lord, I beseech Thee, heal my ulcers, they multiply by the day.
And don't call me Shirley!
-PJ
Look at all the money wasted on this climate cr**, on GM...
The first thing I would do if I were President would be to declare English the official language (as intended).
Next...get rid of the EPA, Education Dept and one more...I forgot.
Damn right I would vote for Perry.
You could replace O’s Bunsen Burner with a TOILET GEYSER, then you’d be close to the truth of what is now unfolding. O’ would still be grinning though, regardless of the S&%T Hitting that fan.
Last sentence: “The Department of Health and Human Services may change the requirement so that uninsured Americans need only to have attempted to purchase coverage rather than actually be insured by the March 31 deadline.”
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I don’t think they ever believed this would work as advertised.
Bidets gone wild!
You GET the BIG picture.
Where's Snowden when you need him.
A-yup. But who sees Boehner doing that?
ahaha I LIKE IT !!!
Thanks
Operators are standing by to receive calls from people who cant use the malfunctioning website, Obama said at a press event held in the White House Rose Garden.
They can take calls in 150 languages, he said.............................." Source
Paging Mr. Boehner, Mr. Ryan, and Cantor too; THIS is how a Warrior thinks; Re-read what Uncle Miltie just told you. Don’t you dare ignore that meaty advantage now being served to your table on a Florentine Sterling Silver Platter. Somebody else will eat it up if you don’t spear it with your salad fork right now! Seize the moment.
It's the Law of the Land. Passed by Congress. Signed by the President and approved by the Supreme Court.
No delay. It must be implemented now.
Implemented in its entirety, including the clause that forbids any and all exemptions.
Some horses cannot be broken or even intimidated. They are either tolerated as exceptional screwballs and avoided, or administratively walled in and allowed to wither.
It seems a bit late to be challenging on the grounds of "only Congress..."
Considering zerocare didn't originate in the house (except through the shenanigans of reid and pelosi cutting and pasting), wouldn't asking Congress to get involved at this point be seen as legitimizing the so-called law?
So, you will delay the mandate!
So, Ted Cruz was right!
“Carney hedges on whether ObamaCare mandate could be delayed”
I object to the title, mandate is sexist and outdated, we must stop using such male orientated words :)
Why would anyone expect Carney to speak truthfully on any subject?
Even if there were no glitches, between low enrollment, rate shock and adverse selection (only old, sick people enrolling) it is failing worse than even they imagined.
If Obama was a bigger man, he would just come out and say it wasn’t ready and we are putting the whole thing off a year (or even bigger would be to say we are suspending it and going back to the drawing board).
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