ObamaCare Enrollment Delayed For Small Businesses and Spanish Speakers

HHS announced on Thursday more delays in implementing ObamaCare. Enrollment for small businesses and Spanish speakers have both been delayed.

Via The Hill:

Small businesses will not be able to buy health insurance through new online marketplaces when they launch next week, the Health and Human Services Department said. 

HHS said the new marketplaces for small businesses, known as SHOP exchanges, will open on Oct. 1 for employers to review their options. But employers won’t be able to sign up online until November.

ObamaCare enrollment is also not ready for “Spanish speakers”. ( There are all sorts of safeguards in place to ensure that these Spanish speakers are American citizens, right?)

 The Spanish-language version of healthcare.gov, the federal portal for ObamaCare enrollment, also will not be able to process applications when it launches next week, according to the Associated Press.

Enrolling Latinos is a key goal for the White House. The administration and its allies have focused their outreach campaign primarily on states with large Hispanic populations and large numbers of uninsured people, including Texas, Florida and California.

Carney said Spanish speakers will be available by telephone to walk enrollees through the registration process. He also said 70 percent of Hispanic Americans will be accessing the registration through the English language portal.

Reactions from Republicans have been swift and fierce.

“It is obvious that the administration is just as unprepared for Obamacare’s Oct. 1st start date as the rest of the country,” said Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.)  in a statement.

“Unbelievable, did anyone tell the president that his administration is delaying another piece of ObamaCare before he tried swindling the American people again?” Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus said in a statement. “It’s clear all Americans deserve a delay from this trainwreck, maybe even more Democrats will get on board with Republican efforts now.”

Then there’s Jay Carney, who  likened ObamaCare to “an apple that is fresh and delicious” at yesterday’s White House briefing.