Insurers spoke, and the president listened. At least with one ear. And so, the special enrollment periods for exchange health insurance have been tightened a bit.

As his administration winds down, President Obama has continued to tinker with the recipe for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Large insurers have been complaining loudly about the special enrollment periods created by PPACA, saying they encourage people to sign on for affordable insurance when they’re facing big medical bills. That gouges the insurers by throwing off the balance needed in an insured group, resulting in high claims and low, or no, profits for the insurers.

This “gaming” of the health care exchange network has major insurers threatening to drop their exchange business. So last week, bowing to the pressure, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services finally responded to the cries for help.