These are the final days. Monday, March 31 is the deadline to at least start the process of enrolling for health coverage under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
It was the deadline to complete enrollment, but U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced on Tuesday that March 31 is now the deadline to begin the process on Healthcare.gov.
“If you’re in the site trying to get enrolled, we’re going to give you time to complete that process, but this is not an extension of open enrollment,” Sebelius said. “You have to be in the system; you have to essentially be in line, signing up for health care.”
Those who miss the deadline will pay a penalty of 1 percent of their annual income or $95, whichever amount is higher. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) will collect fines based on tax returns, where individuals will be asked to show proof of health insurance. Penalties will be subtracted from any tax refund due.
There are four ways to apply for health coverage: call 1-800-318-2596 (TTY: 1-855-889-4325), apply in person with trained insurance navigators at various sites throughout the community, download a paper application from HealthCare.gov and mail it in as directed, or enroll online at HealthCare.gov.
After enrolling, individuals must pay their first monthly premium to make their coverage effective.
There are exceptions to being subject to a fine for not starting enrollment by March 31.
The penalty for not having health insurance, called the Shared Responsibility Payment, has exclusions for extenuating circumstances, which require documentation. Categories of hardship include homelessness; residence eviction or bankruptcy in the past six months; utility shut-off notices; domestic violence; the death of a close family member; unexpected increases to costs as a caregiver; health insurance cancellation; religious exemptions; and disasters.
Persons claiming hardship can complete a hardship application, downloadable at http://tinyurl.com/hardshipApp.
In Missouri and other states that have not expanded Medicaid to get more of its residents covered with affordable health insurance, persons who cannot afford the cost of monthly premiums and other “hardship exemptions” will not be fined.
Missourians who live on incomes lower than the poverty level will not be penalized, said Ryan Barker, vice president of health policy at Missouri Foundation for Health.
According to HealthCare.gov, if your income is more than 100 percent of the federal poverty level – $11,490 a year as a single person or about $23,550 for a family of four – you will be able to buy a private health insurance plan in the Marketplace and may get lower costs based on your household size and income.
If you make less than about $11,490 a year as a single person or about $23,550 for a family of four, you may not qualify for lower costs for private insurance based on your income.
A copy of the notice of denial of eligibility for Medicaid will be needed for next year’s federal tax filings to be exempted from the fine.
Currently, many individuals and families are going through the enrollment process before finding out that they don’t qualify for assistance with the premiums.
After Monday, March 31, the same navigators and counselors who helped with enrollment will be available to help with hardship and other marketplace questions.
“The assisters will still be around after Monday,” Barker said, “and one of their tasks will be to help people who fall into that gap.”
To apply for health coverage, call 1-800-318-2596 (TTY: 1-855-889-4325) or visit HealthCare.gov.