Chris Woodward (OneNewsNow.com)
A health policy analyst thinks Democrats are trying to avoid the blame for ObamaCare by pushing for a special sign-up period for the uninsured.
Open enrollment for ObamaCare is over, although the federal government has temporarily extended the period for people impacted by glitches while trying to enroll online at the last minute.
Meanwhile, at least three senior House members are urging the Obama administration to grant a special sign-up opportunity for uninsured taxpayers facing fines this year for not having health insurance.
Hadley Heath Manning, director of health policy at the Independent Women's Forum, says Democrats may have their own reason for wanting to push this concession.
"The Democrats pushing this say they are interested in financial relief for their constituents, for education for their constituents,” she tells OneNewsNow. “But it's hard not to be cynical and suspect that these Democrats are looking for political cover because constituents pay the penalty."
In January, U.S. Treasury officials said that 3 to 6 million Americans will have to pay the tax penalty for not having health insurance in 2014. H&R Block predicts the number will be between 3 and 4 million. Regardless, Manning says those people are going to blame Democrats for that tax penalty because ObamaCare "is not a partisan law."
"It's one that Democrats are 100 percent to blame for, and so I believe these House Democrats are just looking for a way to avoid accepting some of that blame," she says.