By Andy Dahn
BLOOMINGTON – The deadline to sign up for healthcare coverage under the Affordable Care Act is fast approaching.
Brian Gorman with Illinois Department of Insurance said those who don’t enroll by this Sunday could face major penalties.
“This year, the fine for not having coverage in 2016 grows to $695, or 2.5 percent of your income,” Gorman said. “We want people to understand that the deadline is coming and we’re encouraging everyone to get coverage.”
Gorman said getcoveredillinois.gov is the place to go to avoid those costly fines.
“You can actually shop and compare plans across a number of different carriers,” said Gorman. “You can shop by your provider or specialist and look at how much healthcare you are going to use. We don’t want people to just get a plan, we want folks to get into the right plan.”
Gorman said while the program has had over one million people enroll, they know they still have plenty of work to do. He specifically referenced the 18-35 age groups as those who typically do not have coverage.
Andy Dahn can be reached at andy.dahn@cumulus.com.
