There’s an important deadline this week for anyone looking for health coverage through the federal insurance program known as the Affordable Care Act.
For coverage beginning on January 1, 2017, the application deadline is Thursday, December 15th. But enrollment will remain open until the end of January for coverage beginning in February or March.
Open enrollment began in November and runs through January 31, 2017. Any Ohio resident who’s not already covered through an employer, Medicaid or Medicare plan is eligible to sign up.
President-elect Donald Trump has promised to repeal the Affordable Care Act. But CareSource executive vice president Jon Allison says it’s too soon to know what any potential changes could mean for people who are already insured through the federal health insurance program.
“The marketplace or exchange for 2017 is moving forward," he says. "Coverage is going to be available regardless of the public policy debates that are going to happen in Washington D.C. and in the states.”
Anyone who signs up for an exchange plan by the end of January can avoid federal penalties. For more information on how to sign up go to healthcare.gov.
