ObamaCare generated positive headlines earlier this week when the White House announced that a better-than-expected total of 11.4 million people had enrolled through its exchanges. Today, not so much. The White House says that incorrect tax information got sent out to about 800,000 enrollees, who now must wait until the corrected forms arrive to file their returns. About 50,000 people have already filed using the bad info, and they'll now have to refile or amend their returns, reports AP. The error involves incorrect "benchmark premiums," used to calculate enrollees' subsidies, on forms sent out by the government.
"The error by the federal insurance marketplace is similar to what would happen if an employer reported inaccurate information on wages paid to an employee, or a corporation reported incorrect information about dividends paid to a stockholder," explains the New York Times. Some taxpayers will take a hit, and some will actually owe less. In another ObamaCare development, the White House announced a special enrollment period, from March 15 to April 30. It's mainly for people who realize only while doing their taxes that they face penalties if they don't have health insurance. (More ObamaCare stories.)