Washington residents have less than two weeks to purchase a new health plan or renew their current plan before the state open enrollment period closes for the year.
The deadline to select a health plan through the state-based insurance exchange, Washington Healthplanfinder, is Jan. 31 for coverage effective March 1. Those who select a plan by Saturday will have coverage beginning Feb. 1.
As of Jan. 2, nearly 174,000 people across the state have enrolled in plans through the exchange, www.wahealthplanfinder.org. Those totals represent about a 48 percent increase in sign-ups through the same point in the 2015 open enrollment period.
“We are very happy with both the interest and results to date,” said Pam MacEwan, the exchange’s chief executive officer, in a news release earlier this month. “Customers continue to sign up through Washington Healthplanfinder at unprecedented levels.”
“We fully expect an increase in plan selections in these last weeks of open enrollment,” MacEwan said.
From Nov. 1, when open enrollment began, to Jan. 2, nearly 124,000 people renewed their health plans through the exchange. Another 50,000 people signed up for new coverage.
Everyone who enrolls in a plan through the exchange should receive a bill for coverage within seven days of confirming a plan. Payments must be made directly to the insurance company; the exchange is no longer accepting premium payments.
After the Jan. 31 deadline passes, only those with qualifying life events — such as getting married, having a child, moving to a new coverage area or aging out of a parent’s plan — will be eligible to enroll in exchange plans before the next open enrollment period begins this fall. The deadline does not apply to those with Medicaid, for whom enrollment is open year-round.
Those who are uninsured in 2016 will face a higher penalty on their taxes than in previous years. This year’s fine is 2.5 percent of annual income or $695 per person, whichever is greater.
Free enrollment assistance is available through Washington Healthplanfinder. The exchange’s toll-free customer support line (855-923-4633) is open 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday. Free in-person assistance is available through brokers or navigators, which can be located by ZIP code on the exchange website.
