SHOP exchange enrollment delayed a month

Federal officials on Thursday announced that the small business marketplace, as well as the Spanish-language version of the individual exchange, will not begin on Oct. 1 as planned (Source: “New delays hit Obamacare rollout before October 1 launch,” Reuters, Sept. 26, 2013).

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said employers with 50 or fewer workers will not be able to sign their staff up for private insurance in federally operated exchanges until a month later, November 1, because of technical problems.

The White House also said online Spanish-language enrollment for Hispanics, a group that makes up about one-third of the 47 million uninsured in the country, will also not be available until sometime between October 21 and October 28. Spanish speakers will still be able to enroll through a call center or enrollment specialists known as "navigators."