HHS Delays Deadline for Finalizing Insurance Plans

Obama administration delays signing the final agreements with insurance plans to be sold on federal health insurance exchanges starting October 1, 2013.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) notified insurance companies on Tuesday, August 27, 2013, that it would not sign final agreements with the plans between September 5th and 9th, as originally anticipated, but would wait until mid-September instead. Joanne Peters, a spokeswoman for HHS, said the department remains "on track to open" the marketplaces on time on October 1. The reason for the hold-up was unclear. Sources attributed it to technology problems involving the display of insurance products within the federal information technology system.

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