A special enrollment period is underway that can help people in Utah and around the U.S. avoid fines for not having health insurance. Randal Serr is with the nonprofit Take Care Utah, which helps enroll people in health insurance plans through the Affordable Care Act. He said people who didn't get health insurance last year face penalties of $95 per adult and half that amount for each child. He said the fines will go up each year.
"So by year three it would be $695 per adult and $347.50 per child," Serr said. "Or 2.5 percent of your income - whichever is higher."
Serr estimated that there are tens of thousands of people in Utah who don't have health insurance and may be facing the fines. He said the tax penalties start out smaller as a sort of gentle reminder that having health insurance is now a legal requirement. The special enrollment period started March 15 and ends April 30.
Serr said having health insurance can help provide peace of mind against medical bills that can cause financial devastation.
"If somebody comes down with some serious illness," Serr said. "Or a disease, or some sort of unexpected drama, then they'll have access to care and they won't go bankrupt, or they won't risk going bankrupt."
Serr said in Utah, nine out of ten people who get health coverage through the Affordable Care Act qualify for a premium subsidy. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, more than 11 million Americans selected plans or were automatically re-enrolled during the three-month open enrollment period that ended last month.