This article is more than 5 years old

This article is more than 5 years old

The Obama administration said on Saturday some people trying to sign up for health insurance ahead of a looming deadline were being delayed by technical difficulties.

Administration spokeswoman Katie Hill said some applicants had not been able to get their income information electronically verified. That is crucial, because the amount of financial assistance to help pay premiums is based on people’s income.

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) handles income verification for the HealthCare.gov website, which was infamously affected by serious problems when the Affordable Care Act, Obama’s signature domestic reform, came into law.

On Saturday, Hill said, the glitch seemed to be affecting people with new applications. People who previously submitted their income details – but hadn’t completed the final step of picking a plan – were able to do so.



Hill said people affected by the glitch would still be able to apply.

The deadline in the 37 states served by HealthCare.gov is 2.59am ET on Monday.