Time is running out for people who haven’t signed up for health coverage under the Affordable Care Act.
Friday. Friday is the deadline to sign up for health care coverage that starts February 1st. The next deadline is January 31st, and coverage starts March 1st. But that’s it for this year. Juliana Barker is with the Winnebago County Health Department. She says they're trying to get the word out for "those who haven't heard or have been holding out because they think the Affordable Care Act is going away, or just holding out because the tax penalty wasn't steep enough for them, so they were just going to roll the dice and not go for coverage. Hey, this is your last chance, your last chance to get in!"
Those penalties are 695 dollars per adult or 2.5% of your income, whichever is GREATER. Barker says there are a lot of misconceptions about the cost of coverage, and that may be keeping people from signing up. She says "Basically, they're freaking out about high deductibles. They don't realize preventative services are covered at no cost: no co-pay, no deductible, no co-insurance."
Barker says those preventative services include check-ups, colonoscopies, and mammograms.
There are more than 11,000 people in Winnebago and Boone counties who need to join the health insurance marketplace still. They can get enrolled online, by phone, or at a walk-in center at the health department.
