Special Enrollment Period Ends April 30 for NY Health Insurance Marketplace

NY State of Health, the state’s official health plan Marketplace, reminds New Yorkers who were uninsured in 2014 that they have until April 30 to enroll in a health plan.

The federal tax penalty for not having health insurance in 2015 will increase to $325 per adult in a household or two percent of income—whichever is greater.

“NY State of Health staff and partners are out in communities across the state to ensure that New Yorkers know that even though open enrollment for 2015 has ended, there are many circumstances where they may still qualify for a special enrollment period to get coverage and financial assistance through the marketplace,” said NYSOH Executive Director Donna Frescatore in a prepared statement.

Consumers who do not enroll during this Special Enrollment Period will be unable to purchase coverage during the remainder of the year unless they have another qualifying life event, such as becoming a citizen or the birth or adoption of a child.

To help create awareness, NYSOH has partnered with the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance and the Internal Revenue Service to provide tax preparers across the State with SEP information for their clients. The SEP began on March 1 and ends at 11:59 p.m. on April 30.

Other qualifying life events and NYSOH outreach efforts to educate New Yorkers include:

· Loss of Health Insurance due to job loss, or divorce

o Presence at job fairs in targeted communities throughout the state

o Partnership with the NYS Department of Labor Career Centers to share Marketplace information with the newly unemployed

o Providing SEP information to divorce attorneys and mediators who assist people with divorce

· Marriage

o Working with local government offices where people are getting marriage licenses

· A move into or within New York State resulting in new health plan options

o Partnering with realtors throughout the state to encourage agents to distribute SEP information to their clients

· Aging off parent’s insurance

o Working with the SUNY system to help distribute SEP information to graduates this spring

To be eligible for an SEP, consumers must notify NYSOH within 60 days of the qualifying life event. Those without an SEP qualifying life event may enroll in a health plan through NY State of health beginning onNovember 1, 2015.

For more information on how to enroll, call: 1-855-355-5777 or visit: www.nystateofhealth.ny.gov or find anenrollment assistor.

To learn more about Special Enrollment Periods, visit http://info.nystateofhealth/ny.gov/SpecialEnrollmentPeriods and watch a video explaining qualifying life events.