Special Enrollment Period Starts March 15

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced a special enrollment period (SEP) for individuals and families who did not have health coverage in 2014 and were subject to a penalty when they filed their 2014 taxes.  The SEP begins March 15 and ends at 11:59 p.m. (EST) on April 30, 2015.

The SEP applies to those individuals in the 37 states using the Federally-facilitated Marketplace (Healthcare.gov).  Some state-based exchanges have also announced their own SEPs.  Consumers enrolling in coverage before the 15th of the month will have insurancecoverage effective on the first day of the following month.

Please note that the SEP is not open to everyone.  Those eligible for this SEP live in states with a Federally-facilitated Marketplace (FFM) 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.

For more information on the special enrollment period, contact a Caravus Individual Market consultant.

Health Care ReformTOKYAffordable Care Act, federally-facilitated marketplace, special enrollment period