Affordable Care Act 2019 enrollment deadline is Dec. 15

The deadline to enroll in or change a 2019 Marketplace health insurance plan is fast approaching.

Open enrollment for the Affordable Care Act runs through Saturday, Dec. 15. Coverage begins Jan. 1.

To enroll or change a marketplace health insurance plan, visit HealthCare.gov.

Although the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 eliminates the tax penalty associated with the Affordable Care Act’s individual mandate, those changes do not take effect until the 2019 tax year. That means if you did not have health insurance for all or portions of 2018, you may still owe a tax penalty for the year.

The penalty for not having an Affordable Care Act-compliant plan or forgoing coverage in 2018 is the greater of $695 per adult and $347.50 per child for a maximum of $2,085 or 2.5 percent of adjusted household income. The percentage penalty is capped at an amount equal to the national average premium for a bronze plan, the minimum coverage available by law. Fees are paid as a part of the filing process for federal income tax returns.

Although the individual mandate requires most Americans to carry a minimum level of insurance coverage, there are some exceptions and special qualifications. Those exemptions include certain religious groups and Native American tribes, incarcerated individuals; people who have VA medical care, and people who live in states that have not expanded Medicaid programs and would have qualified for Medicaid under the expanded coverage.