Deadline for CT health insurance coverage

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NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH)- If you're looking to have health insurance coverage on the first of the year, today is your deadline to enroll with Access Health CT.

That penalty affects anybody not enrolled by February 15th but today is the deadline if you want your health insurance to kick in on the first of the year. And if you're worried that signing up for health insurance is going to be too complicated or confusing, there are places you can go for help.

Obamacare requires everyone get health insurance. The idea is, if everyone is insured, it's better and cheaper for everyone. Otherwise, those without insurance end up going to the hospital emergency room for medical care, which is expensive, and sometimes they can't pay so we all end up picking up the bill. If everyone has insurance, healthy people are in effect still paying for sick people, but at least everyone is paying into the system, and the hope is if folks have access to doctors, those doctors will catch health issues before they get expensive.

If you go past February without signing up for insurance, you'll face a penalty of 2 percent of your income or $325, whichever is more.

If you need help signing up there are storefronts in New Haven and New Britain, and there are places all over the state, mostly state offices and libraries, where they have trained staff ready to help you and answer your questions. For more information, go to http://ift.tt/13wh9Qf.