COLUMBUS, Ohio – The deadline-of-deadlines is approaching fast for those who do not have health coverage.
The open enrollment period for signing up for coverage through the Affordable Care Act is 3:00 a.m. Columbus time Sunday, Feb. 15.
Anyone who does not have coverage after that faces a possible fine when they pay their 2015 income taxes in 2016, unless they can show a reason why they could not obtain coverage, like a natural disaster.
The group Get Covered America is planning an “enrollathon” this weekend (Feb. 13-14), operating over 25 outreach and enrollment events.
To find an enrollment expert in your neighborhood visit the Get Covered Connector or call 1-800-648-1176.
As of Jan. 30, 32,827 people in central Ohio were among the 202,000 Ohioans already signed up for private insurance through the health insurance marketplace, according to recent data released by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
In the Cleveland-Elyria area, 41,837 people have enrolled, in Cincinnati (including parts of Ohio and Indiana the number was 32,453, and, in Dayton it was 12,082.
During the enrollment period that began in November, 84% of Ohioans who signed up on the marketplace have received financial assistance to help pay for their premiums, according to the department.
Anyone who fails to sign up will have to wait until the next enrollment period in November and faces a fine. The fine in 2015 is $325 per adult in the family or 2% of household income, whichever is greater.
For low and moderate income Ohioans who are newly eligible under expanded Medicaid, there is no deadline.