Tax Season Special Enrollment Periods

Many tax filers who were uninsured for all or part of 2014 are learning for the first time that they must pay a penalty, and have missed the opportunity to enroll in 2015 coverage. These gaps in consumer awareness, combined with the timing of this year’s open enrollment period (OEP), have led to several Marketplaces allowing certain uninsured consumers additional time to enroll in order to avoid paying a penalty next year. The Federal government and nine State-based Marketplaces have already announced plans to establish a Special Enrollment Period (SEP) to permit individuals subject to the tax penalty to enroll in 2015 coverage outside of this year’s OEP, thereby minimizing the penalty they could incur when filing their 2015 taxes. This document, prepared by Manatt Health Solutions, provides a summary of the tax season SEPs being utilized by each of these Marketplaces.