Open enrollment for health insurance ends
The open enrollment period for the health insurance marketplace ends Sunday at 11:59 p.m. If you miss tonight’s deadline you won’t have a chance to get coverage until 2016.
To start the enrollment process, you have to create an account on YourHealthIdaho.org, which will take you to an application on idalink.idaho.gov. That application is sent to the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare to determine any subsidies you can qualify for. You then have until Saturday, Feb. 21, to pick a health care plan.
After Saturday, anyone who doesn’t have a plan is subject to a penalty for next year’s tax filing season. The penalty is either 1 percent of your adjusted gross income or $95 per adult to $285 for a family – whichever is higher.
Not all plans have to be bought through the online marketplace. Some carriers like Blue Cross of Idaho and Mountain Health Co-op said they would let people submit applications dated through Feb. 28 to buy a plan.
“I think the plans are much more richer than they were in the past and it’s a great opportunity to have some really high quality health care,” said Kevin Lish, insurance agent at Mutual of Omaha in Pocatello.
If you had a major life change, like losing other health coverage or getting married, you may qualify for a special enrollment period. An SEP gives you a 60-day window to secure a plan.
Whether you switched plans or got a new one, coverage begins March 1.
