U.S. lays out steps to smooth Obamacare coverage in January

The Obama administration called on private health insurers on Thursday to make it easier for Americans to obtain coverage and access medical services starting January 1, even if technical troubles or other issues prevent timely enrollment in Obamacare plans. In addition, the administration extended a federal insurance program for people with severe health conditions, and urged insurance companies to provide retroactive coverage beginning January 1 to consumers who sign up for coverage after the first of the year or make their first premium payments sometime in January. The administration has made major fixes to HealthCare.gov, which provides access to new federal health insurance marketplaces in 36 states, after a disastrous October 1 launch. Officials said last week that about 10 percent of applications to the main website are not being accurately transmitted to insurance companies, fueling fears that people will believe they have obtained insurance for the new year, only to discover they are not actually enrolled.