Want Obamacare? You Have More Time

On Friday, the Obama administration announced that American citizens will have eight more days to enroll in new health insurance plans. The reason? None other than the technical problems behind Healthcare.gov, surprise, surprise. After dismal Obamacare sign-up numbers (thanks to the serious issues with the website that a McKinsey & Company report had predicted months in advance) it was the least the administration could do.

Everyone, mark your calendars: cross off Dec. 15 and put a big, red mark around Dec. 23. If you miss the deadline thanks to the Christmas festivities, you'll have to wait an extra month. Besides extending this enrollment period by eight days, the administration will also push back the start of the next enrollment period from Oct. 15, 2014 to Nov. 15, 2014.

Insurance companies can breathe a sigh of relief. They will have 30 extra days to figure out the rates for 2015, and they're at an advantage now that they can assess the information from the stream of uninsured citizens who enroll at the end of 2013.

But don't take all this news as a sign that you've got eight extra days to not worry about enrolling in Obamacare. There are many reasons why you shouldn't wait until the 11:59 p.m. on Dec. 23 to sign up:

1. You have training to do for Black Friday

2. The weather is about to get crazy

3. You shouldn't drink hot cocoa over your laptop

4. On the winter solstice, you'll be too wrapped up in your love for champagne to care

5. And, of course, on Dec. 22 and 23, you'll remember you forgot to pick out presents

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