New deadline for people who've encountered sign-up problems

More details are coming to light on the recently extended open enrollment deadline, which will provide some people seeking health insurance benefits two extra weeks to purchase coverage.

The postponement applies to those who have tried to sign up for coverage online or over the phone, but for various reasons, haven't been able to complete the necessary steps, CBS News reported.

Julie Bataille, spokeswoman for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, noted the government doesn't want to penalize people who have tried to enroll without much success.

"Just like election day, if you are in line when the polls close, you get to vote," said Bataille. "We're doing all we can to ensure that every American who wants to enroll in affordable coverage by the end of the open enrollment period is able to do so."

However, there's no way to verify which enrollees have tried to sign up, leaving exchange workers to rely on consumers' word. Bataille said that even if people aren't honest, there's no system in place that would penalize them.

"People are generally truthful," said Bataille, according to insurance news source Modern Healthcare.