Some Obamacare shoppers can pay January 10 for January 1 coverage

(Reuters) – Individuals who select their health insurance plan on the exchanges set up under the national healthcare reform law by the December 23 deadline will have until January 10 to pay and still receive coverage as of January 1, 2014, the nation's largest organization of insurers said on Wednesday. Some insurers had already announced similar moves individually, but now plans selling insurance on either the state or federal exchanges will voluntarily honor the delayed payment schedule, America's Health Insurance Plans said in a statement. But some state-based exchanges said they are not adopting the timeline, which could create confusion for consumers who must pay insurers to be covered. Many individuals will receive government subsidies to help offset the cost of insurance sold on the exchanges, but they still must pay the balance.