Today is the last day to sign up for health insurance under a limited tax-filing extension of the Affordable Care Act.
The special enrollment period was created for uninsured consumers who didn’t realize they’d be slapped with a fine if they didn’t have health coverage when they filed their taxes.
That fine is roughly $325 or 2 percent of a person’s income, whichever is higher.
Tony Penna with the nonprofit Enroll America says by signing up before midnight tonight, Florida residents can make that penalty go away.
Penna said, “The IRS will receive automatic notification that you’ve enrolled in health insurance, and they’ll either reimburse your penalty or take that penalty that you paid and apply it to your 2015-2016 income taxes.”
The next open enrollment period starts October 15th, but people can sign up any time if they’ve gone through a life-changing event like marriage, divorce, birth of a baby or death of a spouse.
More than 1.5 million Floridians have signed up for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act.
You can follow Cyd Hoskinson @cydwjctnews.
