http://www.chron.com/business/medical/article/Harvey-victims-get-extra-time-to-sign-up-for-12433790.php
Harvey victims get extra time to sign up for Obamacare
Published 10:58 am, Friday, December 15, 2017
In this NASA handout image, Hurricane Harvey is photographed aboard the International Space Station as it intensified on its way toward the Texas coast on August 25, 2017. The Expedition 52 crew on the station has been tracking this storm for the past two days and capturing Earth observation photographs and videos from their vantage point in low Earth orbit.Now at category 4 strength, Harvey's maximum sustained winds had increased to 130 miles per hour. (Photo by NASA via Getty Images)
lessIn this NASA handout image, Hurricane Harvey is photographed aboard the International Space Station as it intensified on its way toward the Texas coast on August 25, 2017. The Expedition 52 crew on the station
... morePrecinct 6 Deputy Constables Sgt. Paul Fernandez, from left, Sgt. Michael Tran and Sgt. Radha Patel rescue an elderly woman from rising water on North MacGregor Way, near Brays Bayou, after heavy rains from the remnants of Hurricane Harvey, Saturday, August 27, 2017, in Houston. ( Jon Shapley / Houston Chronicle )
lessPrecinct 6 Deputy Constables Sgt. Paul Fernandez, from left, Sgt. Michael Tran and Sgt. Radha Patel rescue an elderly woman from rising water on North MacGregor Way, near Brays Bayou, after heavy rains from the
... moreHurricane Harvey couldn't keep Otis the dog down.
Hurricane Harvey couldn't keep Otis the dog down.
Two kayakers try to beat the current pushing them down an overflowing Brays Bayou along S. Braeswood in Houston, Texas, Sunday, Aug. 27, 2017. Rescuers answered hundreds of calls for help Sunday as floodwaters from the remnants of Hurricane Harvey climbed high enough to begin filling second-story homes, and authorities urged stranded families to seek refuge on their rooftops. (Mark Mulligan/Houston Chronicle via AP)
lessTwo kayakers try to beat the current pushing them down an overflowing Brays Bayou along S. Braeswood in Houston, Texas, Sunday, Aug. 27, 2017. Rescuers answered hundreds of calls for help Sunday as floodwaters
... moreA dog comforts his owner.
A dog comforts his owner.
Jan Allen with dogs, Daisy and Toby, and her son, Chris Allen, ride in a rescue boat to a pickup area along Edgebrook Sunday, August 27, 2017. Much of the area is flooded from rains after Hurricane Harvey.
Jan Allen with dogs, Daisy and Toby, and her son, Chris Allen, ride in a rescue boat to a pickup area along Edgebrook Sunday, August 27, 2017. Much of the area is flooded from rains after Hurricane Harvey.
Jose Alarco shakes hands with his neighbor as he makes his way out of the Melrose Park neighborhood and his flooded home in Houston as Tropical Storm Harvey inches its way through the area on Monday, Aug. 28, 2017. ( Elizabeth Conley / Houston Chronicle )
lessJose Alarco shakes hands with his neighbor as he makes his way out of the Melrose Park neighborhood and his flooded home in Houston as Tropical Storm Harvey inches its way through the area on Monday, Aug. 28,
... moreShiann Barker holds her nephew, Brayln Matthews Sims Jr., 1, between cots at the George R. Brown Convention Center where nearly 10,000 people are taking shelter after Tropical Storm Harvey Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2017 in Houston. They have ben at the shelter since Sunday after they evacuated from the Clayton Homes neighborhood. ( Michael Ciaglo / Houston Chronicle)
lessShiann Barker holds her nephew, Brayln Matthews Sims Jr., 1, between cots at the George R. Brown Convention Center where nearly 10,000 people are taking shelter after Tropical Storm Harvey Wednesday, Aug. 30,
... moreRescue boats work along Tidwell at the east Sam Houston Tollway helping to evacuate people Monday, August 28, 2017. Much of the area is flooded from rains after Hurricane Harvey.
Rescue boats work along Tidwell at the east Sam Houston Tollway helping to evacuate people Monday, August 28, 2017. Much of the area is flooded from rains after Hurricane Harvey.
TOPSHOT - People walk through flooded streets as the effects of Hurricane Harvey are seen August 26, 2017 in Galveston, Texas. Hurricane Harvey left a trail of devastation Saturday after the most powerful storm to hit the US mainland in over a decade slammed into Texas, destroying homes, severing power supplies and forcing tens of thousands of residents to flee. / AFP PHOTO / Brendan Smialowski / The erroneous mention[s] appearing in the metadata of this photo by Brendan Smialowski has been modified in AFP systems in the following manner: [Hurricane Harvey] instead of [Hurricane Henry]. Please immediately remove the erroneous mention from all your online services and delete it from your servers. If you have been authorized by AFP to distribute it to third parties, please ensure that the same actions are carried out by them. Failure to promptly comply with these instructions will entail liability on your part for any continued or post notification usage. Therefore we thank you very much for all your attention and prompt action. We are sorry for the inconvenience this notification may cause and remain at your disposal for any further information you may require. (Photo credit should read BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Getty Images)
lessTOPSHOT - People walk through flooded streets as the effects of Hurricane Harvey are seen August 26, 2017 in Galveston, Texas. Hurricane Harvey left a trail of devastation Saturday after the most powerful storm
... moreAngelina De Los Santos, 7, left, Vanessa Pasillas, 2, center, and Jade de los santos, 5, center right, watch videos with Rosemarie Pasillas, right, as people seek shelter at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, TX on Monday, Aug 28, 2017. Rising water from Hurricane now Tropical Storm Harvey pushed thousands of people to rooftops or higher ground Sunday as the had to flee their homes in Houston.
lessAngelina De Los Santos, 7, left, Vanessa Pasillas, 2, center, and Jade de los santos, 5, center right, watch videos with Rosemarie Pasillas, right, as people seek shelter at the George R. Brown Convention
... moreA submerged vehicle is seen at the intersection of the Hardy Toll Road and the Sam Houston Tollway, as heavy rains continue from Tropical Storm Harvey, Tuesday August 29, 2017, in Houston. Sgt. Steve Perez, 60, reportedly drowned in his car at the intersection while on his way to work. He was a 30-year veteran of the HPD.
lessA submerged vehicle is seen at the intersection of the Hardy Toll Road and the Sam Houston Tollway, as heavy rains continue from Tropical Storm Harvey, Tuesday August 29, 2017, in Houston. Sgt. Steve Perez, 60,
... moreVolunteer rescuers evacuate people from the Georgetown Colony neighborhood on a Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck, which was used as a prop in the latest Planet of the Apes movie, as Addicks Reservoir surpasses capacity due to near constant rain from Tropical Storm Harvey Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017 in Houston.
lessVolunteer rescuers evacuate people from the Georgetown Colony neighborhood on a Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck, which was used as a prop in the latest Planet of the Apes movie, as Addicks Reservoir
... moreUniversity of Houston players assist with Hurricane Harvey relief efforts on Friday.
University of Houston players assist with Hurricane Harvey relief efforts on Friday.
A reader submitted this photo of his family's first big storm in Houston. Jeremy Blanton noted that the family lost a car but him, his wife and 2-year-old daughter are all safe.
A reader submitted this photo of his family's first big storm in Houston. Jeremy Blanton noted that the family lost a car but him, his wife and 2-year-old daughter are all safe.
Westpark Tollway is underwater following Tropical Storm Harvey north of Richmond, Texas.
Westpark Tollway is underwater following Tropical Storm Harvey north of Richmond, Texas.
People walk out of their flooded Meyerland streets, Sunday, August 27, 2017.
People walk out of their flooded Meyerland streets, Sunday, August 27, 2017.
Floodwaters fill the road running through the Lakes On Eldridge North subdivision in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Harvey on Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2017, in Houston.
Floodwaters fill the road running through the Lakes On Eldridge North subdivision in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Harvey on Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2017, in Houston.
HOUSTON, TX - AUGUST 27: A man helps children across a flooded street as they evacuate their home after the area was inundated with flooding from Hurricane Harvey on August 27, 2017 in Houston, Texas. Harvey, which made landfall north of Corpus Christi late Friday evening, is expected to dump upwards to 40 inches of rain in Texas over the next couple of days. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
lessHOUSTON, TX - AUGUST 27: A man helps children across a flooded street as they evacuate their home after the area was inundated with flooding from Hurricane Harvey on August 27, 2017 in Houston, Texas. Harvey,
... moreROCKPORT, TX - AUGUST 26: Terry Smith stands in the kitchen as Henry McKay sleeps in the apartment where the ceiling collapse when Hurricane Harvey hit on August 26, 2017 in Rockport, Texas. Ms. Smith said she has never been as terrified in her life as when the winds started roaring through town. Harvey made landfall shortly after 11 p.m. Friday, just north of Port Aransas as a Category 4 storm and is being reported as the strongest hurricane to hit the United States since Wilma in 2005. Forecasts call for as much as 30 inches of rain to fall in the next few days. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
lessROCKPORT, TX - AUGUST 26: Terry Smith stands in the kitchen as Henry McKay sleeps in the apartment where the ceiling collapse when Hurricane Harvey hit on August 26, 2017 in Rockport, Texas. Ms. Smith said she
... moreThe State of Texas Emergency Command Center at DPS headquarters in Austin, Texas monitors Hurricane Harvey Sunday afternoon August 27, 2017. Tropical Storm Harvey lashed central Texas with torrential rains on Sunday, unleashing "catastrophic" floods after the megastorm -- the most powerful to hit the United States since 2005 -- left a deadly trail of devastation along the Gulf Coast. / AFP PHOTO / SUZANNE CORDEIRO (Photo credit should read SUZANNE CORDEIRO/AFP/Getty Images)
lessThe State of Texas Emergency Command Center at DPS headquarters in Austin, Texas monitors Hurricane Harvey Sunday afternoon August 27, 2017. Tropical Storm Harvey lashed central Texas with torrential rains on
... moreHOUSTON, TX - AUGUST 28: Barb Davis, 74. is helped to dry land after being rescued from her flooded neighborhood after it was inundated with rain water, remnants of Hurricane Harvey, on August 28, 2017 in Houston, Texas. Harvey, which made landfall north of Corpus Christi late Friday evening, is expected to dump upwards to 40 inches of rain in areas of Texas over the next couple of days. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)
lessHOUSTON, TX - AUGUST 28: Barb Davis, 74. is helped to dry land after being rescued from her flooded neighborhood after it was inundated with rain water, remnants of Hurricane Harvey, on August 28, 2017 in
... moreHOUSTON, TX - AUGUST 28: People are rescued from a flooded neighborhood after it was inundated with rain water, remnants of Hurricane Harvey, on August 28, 2017 in Houston, Texas. Harvey, which made landfall north of Corpus Christi late Friday evening, is expected to dump upwards to 40 inches of rain in areas of Texas over the next couple of days. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)
lessHOUSTON, TX - AUGUST 28: People are rescued from a flooded neighborhood after it was inundated with rain water, remnants of Hurricane Harvey, on August 28, 2017 in Houston, Texas. Harvey, which made landfall
... moreHOUSTON, TX - AUGUST 27: Naomi Coto carries Simba on her shoulders as they evacuate their home after the area was inundated with flooding from Hurricane Harvey on August 27, 2017 in Houston, Texas. Harvey, which made landfall north of Corpus Christi late Friday evening, is expected to dump upwards to 40 inches of rain in Texas over the next couple of days. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
lessHOUSTON, TX - AUGUST 27: Naomi Coto carries Simba on her shoulders as they evacuate their home after the area was inundated with flooding from Hurricane Harvey on August 27, 2017 in Houston, Texas. Harvey,
... moreA UH-60 Blackhawk Helicopter and crew from U.S. Customs and Border Protection's Air and Marine Operations rescues residents in areas flooded by Hurricane Harvey on August 28, 2017.
A UH-60 Blackhawk Helicopter and crew from U.S. Customs and Border Protection's Air and Marine Operations rescues residents in areas flooded by Hurricane Harvey on August 28, 2017.
Texas National Guard soldiers conduct rescue operations in flooded areas around Houston, Texas Aug. 27, 2017. (U.S. Texas Military Department photo by 1Lt. Zachary West, 100th MPAD)
Texas National Guard soldiers conduct rescue operations in flooded areas around Houston, Texas Aug. 27, 2017. (U.S. Texas Military Department photo by 1Lt. Zachary West, 100th MPAD)
Flooded scenes of Grand Mission Estates, Richmond, Texas.
Flooded scenes of Grand Mission Estates, Richmond, Texas.
To add to reader photos. Houston native Austin Leighton, 28, rides in a kayak with his sons Eli, 6, and Samuel, 3, in Mont Belvieu, Texas on Monday, August 28, 2017.
To add to reader photos. Houston native Austin Leighton, 28, rides in a kayak with his sons Eli, 6, and Samuel, 3, in Mont Belvieu, Texas on Monday, August 28, 2017.
A reader sent these photos Sunday, Aug. 27, 2017.
A reader sent these photos Sunday, Aug. 27, 2017.
Readers share photos of how Hurricane Harvey is affecting them in East Texas on Aug. 27, 2017.
Readers share photos of how Hurricane Harvey is affecting them in East Texas on Aug. 27, 2017.
Contractor Ricky Green of Alabama finishes a day of picking up large debris in a Memorial-area neighborhood. A red X signifying that someone died inside still marks Robert Arthur Haines' house on Langwood.
Contractor Ricky Green of Alabama finishes a day of picking up large debris in a Memorial-area neighborhood. A red X signifying that someone died inside still marks Robert Arthur Haines' house on Langwood.
Enrollment for 2018 health insurance through the Affordable Care Act ends Friday for most people nationwide but Texans affected by Hurricane Harvey will get two extra weeks to sign up.
People in Houston as well as wide swaths of storm-affected areas in Texas will be able to enroll for exchange plans through Dec. 31, but advocates caution applying after Friday can be cumbersome.
Those who want to take advantage of the storm-related extension after Friday can start the process through healthcare.gov but then must complete enrollment by calling 1-800-318-2596.
There is no proof of storm damage required to receive the extra enrollment time and, in fact, other Texas cities such as Austin and Dallas may also participate because many victims fled to those cities after Harvey.
As the clock ticked toward the midnight deadline on Friday for others, consumer interest was brisk despite -- or perhaps because of -- the length of enrollment had been cut in half.
As of Dec. 9, Texas enrollment stood at 579, 688, significantly higher than the 449,094 from the same time last year, federal officials said.
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But most insurers and consumer advocacy groups predict that final numbers for 2018 enrollment will fall far short of the previous year. Last year the enrollment period ran until the end of January and had a surge of last-minute sign-ups at the end, especially among the younger, healthier demographic who had procrastinated.
The Trump administration cut the enrollment period to just 45 days rather than 90 saying that it was more in line with enrollment in other insurance plans such as Medicare and employer-sponsored coverage. In addition, advertising for this year's enrollment was sliced by 90 percent and the number of people available to help people enroll was also cut.
In addition, some fear enrollment will be down as premium prices have risen considerably for the coming year, in part as insurers make up for the loss of a key federal subsidy that helped low income enrollees afford out-of-pocket costs for their health care. While that assistance remains in place, insurers have said they have no choice but to pass on the shortfall to consumers in the form of higher premiums.
RELATED: Trump ends cost-sharing payments to Obamacare insurers
The fate of the mandate under the law known as Obamacare that most everyone be required to carry health insurance remains in doubt even as enrollment closes. Congress has attached the revocation of the so-called individual mandate to its pending tax plan.
Critics have alleged that taken in total this series of actions were designed to undercut the success of enrollment and cripple the law.
RELATED: White House cuts target Obamacare enrollment efforts
Melissa McChesney, a Houston-based enrollment outreach coordinator for the Center for Public Policy Priorities, said the early enrollment numbers proves that Texans want coverage but she fears the uninsured rate will rise in the state that already leads the nation in those without insurance.
"It wasn't lack of enthusiasm, it was lack of time and of support from the administration," she said Friday.
Those who support the changes in the process and the dismantling of the individual mandate counter that the new rules offer not only cut the costs surrounding enrollment but also give relief to those who do not want coverage. Under the current law those who do not have insurance must pay a fine.
While much remains unknown it appears that even if Congress repeals the individual health insurance mandate, the fine would still be in effect for 2018.
