It’s a procrastinator’s dream: Those who’ve put off getting health insurance to avoid penalties for the 2015 tax year have even more time to sign up.
The April 30 dead-deadline for health insurance comes two weeks after tax filings are due for the year 2014. Almost all of those who went without coverage in 2014 will have to pay that “shared responsibility payment” regardless.
Covered California says about 18,000 have signed up so far via the “special-enrollment opportunity” for those who were “unaware” of the penalty. Tax payers first encountered the health-care penalty this tax-filing season.
The regular enrollment period ended Feb. 15. The tax-season extension began Feb. 23.
“It’s important for Californians without health coverage to sign up now to avoid the increasing tax penalty they will face in 2015 if they remain uninsured,” said Covered California chief Peter Lee.
For 2015, the penalty is $325 per adult in a household, or 2 percent of their income, whichever is greater.
“Health care and taxes now go hand in hand,” Lee said of the new era.
Consumers signing up for health-care coverage Feb. 23 through April 30 must check a box called “Informed of Tax Penalty Risk,” indicating they did not realize there was a tax penalty.
The extension also gives Covered California a chance to slightly expand its roster after numbers for the second enrollment period fell somewhat short of expectations.
After April 30, enrollment is available only in cases such divorces, births or a loss of employer-provided health insurance.
Earlier, Covered California officials admitted to sending out about 100,000 incorrect tax forms to its customers for the 2014 tax year.
I am want to know if I am qualifying to apply the Obahmacare health plan. My wife’s employer offered insurance plan. However, it is way so expensive to have three of us applying the plan. If I just sign up the health plan for myself and my son, is it allowed? for the household income, do I need to include my wife annual income if she is not signing up?