Federal officials warn state healthcare exchanges may be delayed

The recent postponement of the employer mandate provision has caused numerous challenges for the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, with state healthcare exchanges at the top of the list.

Reuters reported that two government officials suggested the new state healthcare exchange may also be delayed due to inadequate preparation. Alan Duncan, an auditor with the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, and John Dicken of the government accountability office advised states and health insurance companies to be aware that further testing is needed before Oct. 1. The federal government and numerous states have already missed important healthcare exchange deadlines, according to Reuters.

"The lack of adequate testing could result in significant delays and errors in accepting and processing [...] applications for health insurance coverage," Duncan said at the House of Representatives Oversight and Government Reform committee.

USA Today reported any delay in state healthcare exchanges may result in more than 1 million individuals failing to receive health coverage. With the insurance exchanges less than 90 days away, more testing is needed by states to ensure a smooth implementation of the new system.