Healthcare.Gov clarifies "In Line by Midnight" enrollment period extension

OK, the HHS/CMS Dept. has issued the following...the cut-off date for the "overtime" period is 1 week (Sunday, February 22):

“We are pleased that the vast majority of consumers were able to apply and pick a plan through HealthCare.gov or its call center without a problem. For those consumers who were unable to complete their enrollment because of longer than normal wait times at the call center in the last three days or because of a technical issue such as being unable to submit an application because their income could not be verified, we will provide them with a time-limited special enrollment period for March 1 coverage."

Addition background information from CMS:

This special enrollment period (SEP) will start on February 16, 2015, and end on February 22, 2015.

Enrollments completed during the SEP will have an effective date of March 1, 2015, to align with the coverage effective date the consumer would have received had they been able to complete the enrollment process by February 15, 2015.

Consumers eligible for this SEP are those currently without coverage through the federal Marketplace, who have not been terminated from coverage purchased through the federal Marketplace in 2015, and who attest that they tried to enroll by the deadline but experienced a technical issue with HealthCare.gov that prevented them from completing enrollment by February 15 or experienced an extensive call center wait on February 13, 14 or February 15.

HHS provided a SEP for consumers who were in line by the deadline for the previous open enrollment period (for enrollment in 2014 plans) and were unable to complete their enrollment. In addition, virtually all State-based Marketplaces are doing the same this year.