Three days left to sign up for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act

Open Enrollment for 2019 Marketplace insurance ends Saturday, December 15. This means you have only three days to enroll in, re-enroll in, or change a 2019 Marketplace plan.

The Trump administration, which is opposed to anything enacted under President Obama, shortened the enrollment period from 90 days to 45.

However, six states and the District of Columbia have extended enrollment dates: California – Jan. 15, 2019; Colorado – Jan. 15, 2019; District of Columbia – Jan. 31, 2019; Massachusetts – Jan. 23, 2019; Minnesota – Jan. 13, 2019; New York – Jan. 31, 2019; and Rhode Island – Dec. 31, 2018.

To get started, go to healthcare.gov. If you live in one of the 11 states and the District of Columbia that have their own marketplaces, you’ll be directed to their websites. The states are: California, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Idaho, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington.

You can also call the Marketplace Call Center at 800-318-2596 and apply over the phone. It accepts calls seven days a week, 24 hours a day.

Or you can apply in person. Many non-profit and community organizations have trained people to help you apply for coverage.

To get help

• See the Marketplace’s tips on picking a plan that’s right for you. Be sure to compare plans. You could save yourself a lot of money and also avoiding getting a policy that doesn’t meet your needs.
• Get application troubleshooting tips for the Marketplace website, including what to do if you forgot your username, your password, or the answers to your security questions.

Americans are still required to have health insurance under the Affordable Care Act. However, you can apply for an exemption if you’ve had a problem such as a death in the family, not being able to find affordable coverage or a bankruptcy filing.

While Congress has repealed the tax penalty that individuals without insurance had to pay, it’s important to have health insurance. An accident or severe illness could occur at any time.

The ACA Marketplace is the place where people who don’t have health care coverage through their job or a government program, such as Medicare or Medicaid, can purchase health insurance.