Open Enrollment for 2016 health insurance is over – but you may still have options

The open enrollment period for the Federal Health Insurance Marketplace ended on January 31, 2016 with over 239,000 people in Wisconsin (including over 89,400 people in the Milwaukee area) enrolled in health plans sold on the federal marketplace.

If you didn’t meet the Open Enrollment deadline, you may still be able to get 2016 health insurance if you:

• Have a qualifying life event — like getting married, having a baby, or losing health coverage — that qualifies you for a Special Enrollment Period.
• Qualify for free or low-cost coverage through Medicaid and CHIP. You can apply any time, all year.
• You can find out if you qualify for special enrollment by visiting the healthcare.gov website.

Remember, if you can afford health insurance but choose not to buy it, you must pay a fee called the individual shared responsibility payment.

• You owe the fee for any month you, your spouse, or your tax dependents don’t have health insurance.
• You pay the fee when you file your federal tax return for the year you don’t have coverage.
• In some cases, you may qualify for a health coverage exemption from the requirement to have insurance. If you qualify, you won’t have to pay the fee. Learn about health coverage exemptions.
• Learn more about the fee here.

Our financial counselors are always available to meet with patients and community members to go over their health insurance options. If you’d like to make an appointment to discuss your options, call us at (414) 935-8000.