Reader inquires about deadline for ACA coverage

Editor's note: Reporter Olivia Ingle is writing a series of stories to explain the 10 essential health benefits required under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and to explore what effect those requirements will have on patients and caregivers. Due to the Christmas holiday, there is no story this week. Read the third story of the series in next Sunday's edition of the News Tribune to find out how the ACA affects prescription drugs.

Reader question

One reader posed a question after last week's Affordable Care Act story:

Q: When is the deadline to sign up for health coverage in the online marketplace?

A: When the question was posed, the deadline to sign up for coverage that begins Jan. 1 was Dec. 23. The Obama Administration announced Christmas Eve that people can still sign up, as long as they can prove that problems with healthcare.gov had hindered them in some way from signing up.

A healthcare.gov blog advises individuals to contact the marketplace call center at 1-800-318-2596.

The blog says: "Tell our customer service representative that you've been trying to enroll and explain why you couldn't finish by the deadline. They can tell you what you can do to finish your enrollment and still get covered for 2014."

March 31 - the end of open enrollment in the Marketplace - is the deadline to sign up for health insurance coverage that begins May 1.

Do you have questions?

We want to answer your questions regarding the Affordable Care Act; email reporter Olivia Ingle at [email protected] or call her at 573-761-0248.

Also, feel free to share your experiences with the ACA or your experiences signing up for coverage in the Marketplace.