With the second enrollment period of Covered California coming to an end, state officials are making their last rounds encouraging more residents to sign up and avoid a tax penalty.
There’s about 275,000 Californians who have recently signed up for a health insurance plan through Covered California. But now people have less than two weeks to enroll as the February 15 open enrollment deadline approaches. Those who miss the date, could face a tax penalty.
Executive Director Peter Lee made a stop in Fresno Wednesday afternoon at an insurance exchange office.
“While the majority of Californians know there’s a tax penalty it’s looming in the distance,” Lee says.
He says the tax fine for being uninsured is $95 per person or 1 percent of income, whichever is greatest. Next year, it will go up to $325 or 2 percent of income.
But with the deadline coming soon Lee says they’re expecting an even larger crowd to sign up.
“We think there’s going to be a lot of enrollment in the next two weeks. People are starting to look at their taxes and all of a sudden there going to look at this form that says penalty, what is that?”
As of the end of January, about 4,600 Fresno County residents have signed up during the second enrollment period.
Covered California officials revealed enrollment numbers for those who signed up during this year’s open enrollment period for the following counties:
Fresno County: 4,600
Kern County: 4,100
Madera County: 900
Merced County: 1,800
Tulare County: 2,400
Kings County: 500