US insurers say premiums are climbing as more enrol after health Act deadlines

Washington

EAGER to maximise coverage under the Affordable Care Act, the Obama administration has allowed large numbers of people to sign up for insurance after the deadlines in the last two years, destabilising insurance markets and driving up premiums, health insurance companies say.

The administration has created more than 30 "special enrollment" categories and sent emails to millions of Americans last year urging them to see if they might be able to sign up after the annual open enrolment deadline. But, insurers and state officials said, the US government did little to verify whether late arrivals were eligible.