According to Saint Louis University Health Law Policy Center Professor Sidney Watson, there are two big dates you need to take note of for Affordable Care Act coverage:
- Dec. 15, 2015: The deadline to enroll in Affordable Care Act health insurance coverage in order for it to be active on January 1, 2016.
- Jan. 31, 2016: The deadline for the year to enroll in Affordable Care Act health insurance coverage in order for it to be active on March 1, 2016. Open enrollment won’t be available again until November 2016.
“It is our annual open enrollment period for the marketplace where people who are not offered employer-sponsored health insurance can shop for healthcare,” Watson said.
About 89,000 people in Missouri have already signed up for coverage since it opened in November. It is the third year of the health insurance marketplace that some people know by the name “Obamacare.” Watson said that this number is a good number. As of last year more than 250,000 Missourians were using Healthcare.gov, Watson said.
In this first month of enrollment, more than a million new people have bought plans nationwide. Watson said this signals a success “beyond predictions.”
Watson also suggested three resources for help enrolling in health insurance through Missouri’s marketplace:
On Thursday’s “St. Louis on the Air,” Watson offered helpful tips and answered questions about open enrollment, why premiums increased this year, who is eligible for coverage, and where to find answers. Listen here:
"St. Louis on the Air" discusses issues and concerns facing the St. Louis area. The show is produced by Mary Edwards, Alex Heuer and Kelly Moffitt and hosted by veteran journalist Don Marsh. Follow us on Twitter and join the conversation at @STLonAir.
