It is clear that there is a demand for affordable, high-quality health insurance here in Nebraska, and in the rest of the country.
New data released this week by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services shows more than 32,000 Nebraskans have signed up for health coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace since the open enrollment period began on November 15th.
Of that group, 52 percent are newly enrolled in plans and 88 percent qualified for financial assistance to make coverage more affordable.
To learn more, read the LiveWell Nebraska article detailing Nebraska and Iowa-specific information from the report.
Nationwide, 6.6 million people have signed up for health coverage during the first half of open enrollment and of those, nearly half have been new enrollees and eight in 10 have qualified for financial assistance.
Experts estimate that enrollments will easily meet the goals set by the White House by February 15th, the last day to sign up for coverage in 2015.
After February 15th, consumers will have to wait until next year to get insurance coverage unless they have a change in life situation (like marriage, divorce, job change, or the birth of a child). Everyone who is eligible for insurance must have it or they will have to pay a fee at tax time.
If you haven’t already, it is vitally important to sign up for coverage before February 15th! To sign up for coverage, visit healthcare.gov or call 1-800-318-2596. Or contact an agency from Nebraska’s assister network to get free, local help examining your options and enrolling in a coverage plan.