The federal government extended the sign up for the ObamaCare one day to December 24, 2013. If anyone wants health insurance coverage on January 1, 2014 – today is the day. As a general rule, individuals seeking coverage by January 1, 2014 must pay their premium by December 31, 2013.
There are a few exceptions to today’s deadline. The first is for individuals whose health plan was cancelled due to ObamaCare. If your policy was cancelled, you will be allowed to buy catastrophic coverage which would normally only be available to individuals who are under 30 years of age. This is called a “hardship” exemption. There are 14 other types of “hardship” exemption that include eviction or bankruptcy. For a complete list of exemptions, see healthcare.gov
Some insurance companies are extending the deadline to pay for insurance to January 10, 2014. Each company is cautioning, however, that insurance coverage will not start until the premium is paid. Any individual not paying their premium by December 31, 2013 should check with their insurance company to determine if they will allow an extension to pay their first month’s premium.
The requirements for coverage has changed many times over the last several months, however, the new policies will soon be in place. It is important to stay tuned next year as more and more individuals will have health insurance.
2013 has been a year of many changes for all healthcare providers.
Now that the year is coming to a close, Rickard & Associates wishes everyone a fabulous holiday season. We enjoyed working with all of you and look forward to great things in healthcare in 2014!
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