March 15, 2015

Owe a fee for not having health coverage in 2014? You may still be able to get coverage for 2015.

Open enrollment for 2015 is over. But if you owe a fee on your taxes for not having health coverage in 2014 and don’t yet have health coverage for 2015, you may still be able to get coverage for 2015.

In 2015, the fee for not having health coverage increases to $325 per person or 2% of your household income – whichever is higher. This fee generally applies if you can afford to have health coverage but choose to remain uninsured – although you may not have to pay the fee if you qualify for an exemption. If you don’t have coverage for the remainder of 2015, you’ll risk having to pay the fee again next year for the portion of the year you don’t have coverage.

The good news is that the Health Insurance Marketplace is providing individuals and families who are subject to the fee when they file their 2014 taxes with one last chance to get covered for 2015. In order to take advantage of this Special Enrollment Period, you must meet all of the following requirements:

1. You didn’t know that the health care law required you and your household to have health coverage until after February 15, 2015, or you didn’t understand how that requirement would affect you or your family.
2. You owe the fee for not having coverage for one or more months in 2014.
3. You aren’t already enrolled in 2015 qualifying health coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace or outside the Marketplace.

If all of these apply to you, you’re eligible for a Special Enrollment Period that allows you to enroll in a 2015 plan. You also may be able to get lower costs on monthly premiums. Eight out of 10 people can find coverage for $100 or less a month with tax credits through the Marketplace.

The Special Enrollment opportunity runs from March 15 through April 30, 2015.

Get started on HealthCare.gov, or contact the Marketplace Call Center at 1-800-318-2596 to start your enrollment over the phone.

Please note:

• If you owe a fee for not having coverage in 2014 but are already enrolled in a 2015 Marketplace plan, you can’t use this Special Enrollment Period to switch plans.
• Even if you get coverage through this Special Enrollment Period (SEP), you still have to pay the 2014 fee.
• You don’t need to have filed your 2014 taxes before enrolling with this SEP—you just have to owe the fee.
• If any person in a household meets the criteria for this SEP, everyone in the household can enroll in coverage with it.