In early April, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius reported that at least 7.5 million had enrolled in health coverage through the Marketplace. At the time, that was still rising, according to Sebelius. The final weeks and days before the deadline saw huge numbers of last-minute enrollees in the federal and state-run exchanges.
People who had difficulty enrolling by the March 31 deadline because of technical glitches with the federal and state-based exchange websites or some other (qualifying) issues were given until April 15 to finish enrolling through the federal exchange.
Despite the technical issues that plagued the federal exchange website, enrollment has exceeded expectations—the initial White House target was 7 million enrollees. However, since not everyone who has enrolled will go forward with making their first premium payment, the number of total enrollees is likely to drop in the coming weeks.
Special Enrollment Available to Those Who Qualify
Some people who missed the deadline to enroll may be eligible for special enrollment, based on certain qualifying circumstances. Qualifying life events for special enrollment include, but are not limited to, getting married, having a baby or losing your job-based health insurance. Additionally, those who tried to apply before the March 31 but were unable to complete their application because of a technical problem may be eligible for special enrollment.
Those who qualify for special enrollment must apply within 60 days of the date the qualifying event happened. If you think you may qualify for special enrollment, contact Benefit Packages to find out with certainty and for answers to all your health insurance questions.