Federal health officials are urging Hawaii residents to sign up for Obamacare by Sunday’s enrollment deadline.
There are 13,194 people in Hawaii who had selected a health plan through the federal marketplace, HealthCare.gov, as of last Saturday, according to a report released Wednesday by the U.S. Health and Human Services Department, the agency that oversees the Affordable Care Act.
The Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, is the federal program that requires Americans to obtain medical insurance or pay tax penalties.
“The clock is ticking with just four days left before Jan. 31, the final enrollment deadline for 2016 health coverage,” U.S. Secretary for Health and Human Services Sylvia Burwell said in a statement. “We are focused on making sure people know that financial help is available, the deadline is fast approaching and that we’re here to help them enroll so that they don’t risk having to pay a penalty of $695 or more for not having health insurance.”
Individuals with incomes too high to qualify for Medicaid, the government health insurance program for low-income residents, can apply for subsidies to lower the cost of coverage on the federal exchange. In the first month of open enrollment, 83 percent of Hawaii residents who selected health plans were eligible for financial assistance to lower their monthly premiums, according to federal officials.
Nationally, about 8.9 million consumers have enrolled in coverage through HealthCare.gov.
The state moved enrollment to HealthCare.gov after the nonprofit Hawaii Health Connector assigned to enroll residents in Obamacare failed to meet federal requirements, including generating enough revenue to be financially self-sustaining.
Gov. David Ige’s administration was forced to abandon the troubled Connector, which had struggled since its launch in October 2013 to meet enrollment targets, provide satisfactory service and raise enough money for operations.
The Connector burned through $130 million of $204 million in federal money granted to the state to build the exchange.
State officials contend that the Connector inflated the number of residents enrolled in Obamacare last year. Ige’s representatives recently told lawmakers that the latest federal figures show 16,803 people were enrolled in 2015.
To apply, go to HealthCare.gov or CuidadoDeSalud.gov or call 800-318-2596. For in-person help, a list of local marketplace helpers is available at Localhelp.healthcare.gov.
