For people going through the exchanges, the deadline to be covered by the new year is next Monday. If one wants an insurance plan effective January 1st, s/he needs the application and enrollment forms submitted by December 23rd. The next deadline was getting one’s first premium payment in by December 31st, but now most insurers are giving consumers an extra ten days. Via ABC News:
A big development today for hundreds of thousands of Americans who are scrambling to meet Monday’s first Obamacare enrollment deadline.
Hundreds of health insurers participating in the state and federal exchanges have voluntarily extended the due date for first premium payments for people who want coverage effective Jan. 1, according to the industry group AHIP [America’s Health Insurance Plans].
In most cases, consumers who sign up by Monday will now have until Jan. 10 to make their first premium payment. Previously, the deadline for payment had been Dec. 31 at 11:59 p.m. local time.
“We don’t know of any insurers not going to at least Jan. 10,” an AHIP official told ABC News. “It is possible that a few small plans may decide not to, but we did pretty thorough outreach for this.”
When looking at all the problems the federal website has had since its launch on October 1st, it’s no surprise that insurance companies are pushing that deadline.
Assuming people actually end up enrolling.