But, as the enrollment window reopens, it’s unclear how many know about the time-limited opportunity, let alone will take advantage of it.
Fines payable to the IRS are the stick behind the offer of taxpayer-subsidized private insurance under President Barack Obama’s health care law. Virtually everyone in the country is now required to have coverage through an employer or a government program, or by buying individual policies.
This is the first year fines are being collected from uninsured people the government deems able to afford coverage. Tax preparation company H&R Block says the penalty averages about $170 among its affected customers. It usually is deducted from a person’s tax refund.
Those penalized are mainly the kind of people the law was intended to help: low- and middle-income workers who do not have coverage on the job or are self-employed. Roughly 4 million people are expected to pay fines, according to congressional estimates. Many more will qualify for exemptions.”
“Penalties for being uninsured are going up this year to a minimum of $325 for the full 12 months. That’s a significant increase from the $95 minimum in 2014.
The new sign-up opportunity runs through April 30. To qualify, individuals have to certify to the government that they meet certain conditions, including:
– They did not know or understand that they were legally required to have coverage until after open enrollment officially ended Feb. 15.
– They owed a penalty for being uninsured in 2014.
Those requirements are for the 37 states served by the federal HealthCare.gov website. States running their own insurance exchanges may have different rules and deadlines. Penalties for 2014 are not refundable.” - Cool reception for new ACA sign-up window, Albuquerque Journal, 03/15/2015
Link to the entire article appears below:
http://www.abqjournal.com/555733/news/cool-reception-for-new-aca-signup-window.html
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