New Sign Up Window Opens for Health Care Law
Posted on Thursday, March 19th, 2015
Love County residents who have been hit with a federal fine for going without health insurance in 2014 have a second chance to sign up for a health insurance policy.
The enrollment window reopened as of March 15 so the uninsured will not face ever higher fines in 2015.
The new sign-up opportunity runs through April 30 at the marketplace website, www.heatlhcare.gov.
Local enrollment assistance is available at Big 5 Community Services at 276-3154. Pearman Insurance and State Farm Insurance also can assist.
To qualify for the special enrollment period, individuals have to certify at the website that they meet certain conditions, including:
- They did not know or understand that they were legally required to have coverage until after open enrolment officially ended February 15.
- They owed a penalty for being uninsured in 2014.
Some consumers are learning upon filing their income tax return for 2014 that fines re being collected from uninsured people the government deems able to afford coverage.
The fine is deducted from the person's tax refund.
Under the Affordable Care Act, nearly everyone is required to have coverage through an employer or a government program or by buying individual policies.
Penalties for being uninsured are going up in 2015 to a minimum of $325. That's much higher than the $95 minimum in 2014.