A midnight deadline to sign up for health coverage under the Affordable Care Act that starts January 1 has been extended by a day in what the White House describes as an effort to accommodate people in different time zones.
The deadline that had been midnight on December 23 has been pushed up to Christmas Eve at midnight.
"[Without] any public announcement, Obama administration officials have changed the rules so that people will have an extra day to enroll, according to two individuals with knowledge of the switch."
Julie Bataille, a spokeswoman for the federal agency overseeing the health overhaul, said in a statement:
"Anticipating high demand and the fact that consumers may be enrolling from multiple time zones, we have taken steps to make sure that those who select a plan through tomorrow will get coverage for January 1."
The Associated Press says:
"The federal HealthCare.gov system serves 36 states. Some other states have also extended enrollment deadlines slightly."
NPR's Julie Rovner reports that "Maryland, Minnesota, and Rhode Island have all extended their sign up deadlines for coverage that will start January 1."
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