Time is running out to sign up for health insurance through Obamacare in Pa. and N.J.
In New Jersey, residents have until Jan. 31 to enroll. In Pennsylvania, enrollment ends Jan. 15.
Pennsylvania and New Jersey residents who want health insurance through Obamacare need to act quickly.
The deadlines to sign up for 2024 coverage through Pennie and GetCoveredNJ, the Affordable Care Act marketplaces in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, are coming up.
The marketplaces sell individual and family plans for people who don’t have access to job-based health insurance and don’t qualify for other government-funded health programs. Affordable Care Act plans cover the 10 essential health benefits, including emergency care, outpatient care, hospitalization, and prescription drugs. Many people also get financial assistance based on their income.
» READ MORE: Pennsylvanians are skipping doctor’s visits and rationing medication due to high costs
Open enrollment season, which runs through the end of January in New Jersey and the middle of the month in Pennsylvania, is a time for people to sign up for a new plan or make changes to their existing coverage. Outside of open enrollment, the only way to enroll in an ACA plan is following a major life event, such as getting married, having a baby, or losing coverage through work.
Here is what you need to know about the deadlines in each state:
New Jersey
GetCoveredNJ (getcovered.nj.gov) is the online marketplace for New Jersey residents.
For insurance coverage that starts Jan. 1, 2024, New Jersey residents must enroll by Dec. 31. The last day to sign up for a 2024 plan is Jan. 31. People who enroll by that date will have coverage beginning Feb 1.
So far this open enrollment season, more than 330,000 people have signed up for health insurance through the marketplace, according to the state’s Department of Banking and Insurance.
Pennsylvania
Pennie (pennie.com) is the online marketplace for Pennsylvania residents.
In Pennsylvania, residents can no longer register for coverage that starts the first of the year. Jan. 15 is the last day to sign up for health coverage that begins on Feb 1.
A record of more than 405,000 people enrolled in Pennie this year for Jan. 1 coverage, according to the state.