Many consumers who have not signed up for health insurance the Affordable Care Act will have another chance to do so, thanks to a special March 15-April 30 enrollment period announced by the Centers for Medicare Services (CMS) & Medicaid Services (CMS).
The extra is for individuals and families who did not have health coverage in 2014 and are subject to the fee or “ shared responsibility payment” when they file their 2014 taxes in states which use federally-facilitated marketplaces.
Those signing up during the extra enrollment period will have to state that they were unaware of the requirement to have insurance, or didn’t understand they would be subject to penalties if they failed to enroll in 2015 health insurance through the marketplaces.
If consumers do not purchase coverage for 2015 during this special enrollment period, they may have to pay a fee when they file their 2015 income taxes in 2016.
This special enrollment applies only to those who live in states with a federally-facilitated marketplace and:
- Currently are not enrolled in coverage through the marketplace for 2015,
- State that when they filed their 2014 tax return they paid the fee for not having health coverage in 2014, and
- State that they first became aware of, or understood the implications of, the shared responsibility payment after the end of open enrollment (February 15, 2015) in connection with preparing their 2014 taxes.
The special announced enrollment period announced today will begin on March 15, 2015 and end at 11:59 pm E.S.T. April 30, 2015. If a consumer enrolls in coverage before the 15th of the month, coverage will be effective on the first day of the following month.
Individuals who could not afford coverage or met other conditions may be eligible to receive an exemption for 2014. To help consumers who did not have insurance last year determine if they qualify for an exemption, health coverage tax exemption tool on and CuidadodeSalud.gov.
