Countdown to Obamacare deadlines (BLOG)

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnhj2YIMIpza6oNK-Wtf8psIGlstQ-CMANJPcQZPxoRcwi4VyWmurhyphenhyphenskD7pEo3-91JKr_1yL1KjCs5xRrgTCzud5yVoXS1tkzH-C1bXABJPf99nOI0Z1hYNLx4EVU2dYn6OFgxnELYTE/s1600/3.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnhj2YIMIpza6oNK-Wtf8psIGlstQ-CMANJPcQZPxoRcwi4VyWmurhyphenhyphenskD7pEo3-91JKr_1yL1KjCs5xRrgTCzud5yVoXS1tkzH-C1bXABJPf99nOI0Z1hYNLx4EVU2dYn6OFgxnELYTE/s320/3.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="cnnStorySource" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #999999; font-family: Lato, Arial, serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px 0px 5px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">NEW YORK (CNNMoney)</div><h2 style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Lato, Arial, serif; font-size: 21px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 28px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 20px; vertical-align: baseline;">Want health insurance by January 1? Better pick an Obamacare plan by Monday and pay for it before New Year's Day.</h2><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Lato, Arial, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 20px; vertical-align: baseline;">There's been a lot of confusion surrounding the deadlines for applying for Obamacare -- and with good reason. Federal and state governments, as well as insurers, keep changing the dates, mainly to accommodate those blocked from completing enrollment due to technical problems.</div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Lato, Arial, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 20px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent;">More than a million people have signed up for private insurance in the federal and state exchanges, President Obama said Friday. And exchanges are reporting heavy interest in the days leading up to Monday.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Lato, Arial, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 20px; vertical-align: baseline;">Each consumer faces two deadlines: One by which to choose a plan and another for making a payment.</div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Lato, Arial, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 20px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Federal exchange:</strong> As of now, if you live in one of the 36 states serviced by the federal enrollment website, <a href="http://money.cnn.com/2013/12/22/news/economy/obamacare-deadlines/www.healthcare.gov?iid=EL" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; color: #004276; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">healthcare.gov,</a> your best bet for getting hassle-free coverage in 2014 is to select a policy by end of the day on Monday<strong style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </strong>and pay your first month's premium by December 31.</div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Lato, Arial, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 20px; vertical-align: baseline;">But procrastinators and those running into technical roadblocks might get a short reprieve.</div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Lato, Arial, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 20px; vertical-align: baseline;">Federal officials said recently that individuals who try to <a href="http://money.cnn.com/2013/12/11/news/economy/obamacare-exchanges/index.html?iid=EL" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; color: #004276; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">sign up,</a> but encounter a problem with the website, can qualify for a special enrollment period and gain coverage as soon as possible. The government is also "encouraging" insurers to allow people who miss Monday's deadline to still be eligible for coverage starting January 1, even if they sign up sometime in January.</div><div class="cnnplayer" id="cnnplayer0" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px 0px 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="cnnVidplayer" style="background-color: black; border: 0px; height: 348px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 620px;"><a class="summaryImg" href="http://money.cnn.com/video/news/2013/12/17/dumbest-moments-obamacare-heathcare-website-exchange-obama-promise.cnnmoney?iid=EL" id="vid0" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; color: #004276; display: block; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="Healthcare.gov fails the uninsured" border="0" height="348" src="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/money/dam/assets/131217132740-dumbest-moments-obamacare-heathcare-website-exchange-obama-promise-00004322-620x348.jpg" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="620" /><span class="video_playbtn" style="background-image: url(http://i2.cdn.turner.com/money/.element/img/5.0/buttons/video_play_button_big.png); background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border: 0px; height: 120px; left: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 120px;"> </span></a></div><div class="cnnVidFooter" style="background-color: #ebebeb; border: 0px; height: 28px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 5px 8px 7px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="cnnHeadline" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; font-size: 22px; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: -1px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Healthcare.gov fails the uninsured</div><div class="countdown" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; height: 18px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 5px; vertical-align: baseline;"></div></div></div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Lato, Arial, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 20px; vertical-align: baseline;">When it comes to paying for a plan selected on healthcare.gov, the insurance industry trade group said last week that folks who pay by January 10 can have coverage retroactive to the start of the year. But the group stressed that <a href="http://money.cnn.com/2013/12/05/news/economy/obamacare-insured/index.html?iid=EL" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; color: #004276; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">coverage doesn't begin until the first payment</a> is made. So people who wait until the 10th to pay might have to shell out for their initial medical care up front and file for reimbursement from their provider.</div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Lato, Arial, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 20px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">State exchanges:</strong> If you are applying in one of the 14 states running its own exchange, you may have a different set of deadlines.</div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Lato, Arial, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 20px; vertical-align: baseline;">Minnesota became the latest state to change its dates. Residents there have until December 31 to pick a plan and have coverage start the next day, exchange officials said Friday. They have until January 10 to pay.</div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Lato, Arial, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 20px; vertical-align: baseline;">Rhode Islanders also have until December 31 to pick a plan and have coverage start the next day. But they have to pay their first premium by January 6 and won't receive an ID card until they do.</div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Lato, Arial, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 20px; vertical-align: baseline;">The change was made "to make sure more Rhode Islanders are able to have health care on January 1," said Dara Chadwick, spokeswoman for the Rhode Island exchange. "There's been a lot of confusion in the messaging."</div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Lato, Arial, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 20px; vertical-align: baseline;">In Washington, residents who try to apply by Monday<strong style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </strong>but run into problems have until January 15 to pick and pay for a plan. Coverage will be retroactive to January 1.</div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Lato, Arial, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 20px; vertical-align: baseline;">Other states have extended either the deadline to choose a plan or to pay the premium. Oregon and Maryland pushed back the deadline to pick a policy to December 27, with one Maryland insurer giving applicants until December 31.</div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Lato, Arial, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 20px; vertical-align: baseline;">Consumers in Maryland and Oregon have until January 15 to pay, while <a href="http://money.cnn.com/2013/11/21/news/economy/obamacare-california/index.html?iid=EL" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; color: #004276; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">California</a> is giving residents until January 6, Vermont until January and Connecticut until January 10.</div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Lato, Arial, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 20px; vertical-align: baseline;">Regardless of where you live, you should call your insurer of choice to check its deadlines and, after you pay, check your enrollment status.</div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Lato, Arial, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 20px; vertical-align: baseline;">For those who miss the deadline altogether, don't worry. You can still get coverage starting February 1 if you pick a plan by January 15 and pay by the end of January.</div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Lato, Arial, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 20px; vertical-align: baseline;">Open enrollment ends March 31. The uninsured must pick a plan by then to avoid a <a href="http://money.cnn.com/2013/08/13/news/economy/obamacare-penalty/?iid=EL" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; color: #004276; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">penalty</a>. These procrastinators would see coverage start May 1. <a href="http://money.cnn.com/2013/12/22/news/economy/obamacare-deadlines/index.html?iid=s_mpm#TOP" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; color: #004276; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="To top of page" border="0" height="7" src="http://i.cdn.turner.com/money/images/bug.gif" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="7" /></a></div></div>

Countdown to Obamacare deadlines (BLOG)

NEW YORK (CNNMoney)Want health insurance by January 1? Better pick an Obamacare plan by Monday and pay for it before New Year's Day.There's been a lot of confusion surrounding the deadlines for applying for Obamacare -- and with good reason. Federal …

Read more »