The Centers for Medicare &
Medicaid Services (CMS) announced today a special enrollment period (SEP) for
individuals and families who did not have health coverage in 2014 and are
subject to the fee or “shared responsibility payment” when they file their 2014
taxes in states which use the Federally-facilitated Marketplaces (FFM). This
special enrollment period will allow those individuals and families who were
unaware or didn’t understand the implications of this new requirement to enroll
in 2015 health insurance coverage through the FFM.
For those who were unaware or
didn’t understand the implications of the fee for not enrolling in coverage,
CMS will provide consumers with an opportunity to purchase health insurance
coverage from March 15 to April 30. If consumers do not purchase coverage
for 2015 during this special enrollment period, they may have to pay a fee when
they file their 2015 income taxes.
Those eligible for this special
enrollment period live in states with a Federally-facilitated Marketplace
and:
- Currently are not enrolled in coverage through the FFM for 2015,
- Attest that when they filed their 2014 tax return they paid
the fee for not having health coverage in 2014, and
- Attest that
they first became aware of, or understood the implications of, the Shared
Responsibility Payment after the end of open enrollment (February 15,
2015) in connection with preparing their 2014 taxes.
The special enrollment period
announced today will begin on March 15, 2015 and end at 11:59 pm E.S.T. on
April 30, 2015. If a consumer enrolls in coverage before the 15th of the
month, coverage will be effective on the first day of the following
month.
