Latest Obamacare Delay Means Small Businesses Will Have to Wait. Again.

The launch date for the online exchange that will allow small-business owners to shop for insurance has been pushed to November 2014.

learn more about Catherine Clifford

By Catherine Clifford

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

The beleaguered and defeated Obamacare has taken another punch, and Main Street is feeling the pain.

Just as most of the country was heading full throttle toward the tryptophan-induced haze that is Thanksgiving, the White House announced yet another delay in the rollout of Obamacare – one that affects small businesses.

Burying the news at the bottom of a blog post published the day before Thanksgiving, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services stated that the online marketplaces for small-business owners are expected to come online in November 2014.

That's a year later than expected. A year later than the already pushed back deadline.

Related: Readying for Obamacare's Small Business Exchanges

The online marketplace for small-business owners, called the Small Business Health Options Program, or SHOP, is intended to provide companies with fewer than 50 full-time employees to compare insurance options and register for coverage for themselves and their employees on the Internet.

The SHOP online marketplace was initially due to open in October. Then, in September, the White House pushed the deadline back another month, scheduling the launch for Nov. 1, leaving only three months for small business owners to be set up and ready for the launch on Jan. 1. Now, that deadline has been delayed by a full year.

The Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare as it has come to be called, does not require businesses with fewer than 50 full-time workers to provide health insurance to their workers. Those small businesses that do wish to shop for coverage through the SHOP marketplaces can still do so before November 2014, albeit not online. Instead, they will have to work directly with an agent, broker, or insurer to sign up manually.

"This process, called "direct enrollment,' is similar to how most small employers get insurance today," the HHS blog post said. In other words, not much is going to change from how it already looks for small-business owners looking to work with a professional to buy insurance.

Related: HealthCare.gov: Your Reminder Not To Skimp on Quality Assurance

The delay in the online marketplace, however, provided yet another opportunity for already fuming Republicans to lay a few targeted jabs at the White House.

"Once again, President Obama has unilaterally delayed another major portion of Obamacare, and once again, he has tried to bury bad news around a holiday hoping nobody will notice. These are hardly the actions of a transparent administration," said House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R, Va.) in a written statement.

The Obama administration's approval rating has been at historic lows as of late, and the blundered rollout of HealthCare.gov has been much to blame. "If small firms failed to provide services this frequently, they would be fired," said House Small Business Committee Chairman Sam Graves (R, Mo.). "This pattern of continued delay and disarray is especially disappointing. This mismanagement and inadequacy is causing the American people and small business owners to lose trust in their government's ability to do just about anything."

Business owners like to plan. And the repeated deadline changes are leaving business owners unable to get their bearings for the coming year.

Related: Making Heads or Tails of Obamacare as a Sole Proprietor or Small-Business Owner (Video)

"The Obama Administration continues to make it incredibly difficult for small businesses to adequately plan and prepare when they continue to move the goal post," says Katie Vlietstra, director of government affairs for The National Association for the Self-Employed in a written statement. "We are disappointed to say the least."

The announcement of the delay in the online SHOP was made as the White House was sweating to make its own, self-imposed Nov. 30 deadline for righting the broken online portal for individuals to sign up for health insurance. Since the White House is in the business of setting and breaking its own deadlines these days, even the President didn't seem convinced that his administration would make its very own Nov. 30 deadline.

"I think it is not possible for me to guarantee that 100 percent of the people 100 percent of the time going on this website will have a perfectly seamless, smooth experience," said Obama earlier this month. "We're going to have to continue to improve it even after November 30th, December 1st."

Related: Despite Cons, Entrepreneurs See Opportunity in Obamacare

Catherine Clifford

Senior Entrepreneurship Writer at CNBC

Catherine Clifford is senior entrepreneurship writer at CNBC. She was formerly a senior writer at Entrepreneur.com, the small business reporter at CNNMoney and an assistant in the New York bureau for CNN. Clifford attended Columbia University where she earned a bachelor's degree. She lives in Brooklyn, N.Y. You can follow her on Twitter at @CatClifford.

Related Topics

Editor's Pick

Everyone Wants to Get Close to Their Favorite Artist. Here's the Technology Making It a Reality — But Better.
The Highest-Paid, Highest-Profile People in Every Field Know This Communication Strategy
After Early Rejection From Publishers, This Author Self-Published Her Book and Sold More Than 500,000 Copies. Here's How She Did It.
Having Trouble Speaking Up in Meetings? Try This Strategy.
He Names Brands for Amazon, Meta and Forever 21, and Says This Is the Big Blank Space in the Naming Game
Business News

These Are the Most and Least Affordable Places to Retire in The U.S.

The Northeast and West Coast are the least affordable, while areas in the Mountain State region tend to be ideal for retirees on a budget.

Thought Leaders

The Collapse of Credit Suisse: A Cautionary Tale of Resistance to Hybrid Work

This cautionary tale serves as a reminder for business leaders to adapt to the changing world of work and prioritize their workforce's needs and preferences.

Business Solutions

Learn to Build a ChatGPT Bot for Only $30

If you want to see what AI can do for your business, grab this course bundle today.

Data & Recovery

If You Have a Business, You Have Passwords to Manage

How a password management system is crucial for entrepreneurs.

Business News

'I Don't Feel Like It's Unreasonable': A-List Actor Refused Service At Hotspot For Not Following Dress Code

Academy Award-winning actor Russell Crowe had quite the afternoon after trying to stop at a Japanese steakhouse in Melbourne, Australia following a game of tennis.

Business News

I Live on a Cruise Ship for Half of the Year. Look Inside My 336-Square-Foot Cabin with Wraparound Balcony.

I live on a cruise ship with my husband, who works on it, for six months out of the year. Life at "home" can be tight. Here's what it's really like living on a cruise ship.