Covered California Extends Deadline Following A ‘Surge’ In Sign-Ups
The exchange says "tens of thousands" of consumers were signing up in the week before the enrollment deadline. The new one is Feb. 6.
California Healthline:
A Last Minute Reprieve For Some Consumers On California Exchange
California Healthline's Chad Terhune and Barbara Feder Ostrov report: "Covered California, the state’s insurance exchange, announced Friday that it was extending its enrollment deadline until Feb. 6 for people who had officially begun the process of signing up by Sunday. Exchange officials said they extended the Sunday deadline to accommodate a surge in enrollment in the previous week involving “tens of thousands” of consumers. As of Jan. 27, the exchange reported that more than 329,000 new consumers had signed up for coverage during the third annual enrollment period, which is within the estimate of the exchange’s estimate of 295,000 to 450,000 new enrollees." (Terhune and Feder Ostrov, 2/1)
The Contra Costa Times:
Hope For Last-Minute Health Insurance Enrollees
Consumers who started the process, or made an appointment, [by the original deadline] will have until midnight Saturday, Feb. 6, to complete the application as long as they are working with a certified insurance agent, certified enrollment counselor, or service center representative at Covered California. "Covered California knows that health care coverage is too important, and people should not be turned away just because they get caught up in a wave of last-minute shoppers," Covered California Executive Director Peter Lee said in a prepared statement. (1/31)
The Orange County Register:
Covered California Extends Deadline For Health Insurance Enrollment
Individuals who do not sign up for health care will have to pay a tax penalty under the Affordable Care Act. After open enrollment ends, consumers may sign up only if they have a life-changing event such as getting married, having a child or moving to a new state. Enrollment for Medi-Cal is year-round. (Bharath, 1/29)
Meanwhile, the IRS is warning consumers about a tax scam involving the penalties mandated by the Affordable Care Act —
The New York Times:
Tax Scams Are Targeting Uninsured, I.R.S. Warns
The Internal Revenue Service is warning consumers about tax scams involving the Affordable Care Act and penalties imposed under the law on people who go without health insurance. In some cases, the agency said, unscrupulous tax preparers tell clients to pay the penalties directly to them, and they keep the money. Most people do not owe the payment at all. “However,” the I.R.S. said, “if you owe a payment, remember that it should be made only with your tax return or in response to a letter from the I.R.S. The payment should never be made directly to an individual or return preparer.” (Pear, 1/31)