Kentuckians who missed the Feb. 15 deadline to apply for discount health insurance now have another chance. Governor Steve Beshear announced Tuesday a special enrollment period from March 2 to April 30.
Beshear said the grace period is for Kentuckians who did not realize they would have to pay a tax of at least $325 for not having insurance in 2015. Carrie Banahan is the director of Kentucky’s health insurance exchange, called Kynect.
“Many people have not started to work on their taxes and are unaware probably that they are subject to a tax penalty," said Banahan.
Those who missed the Feb. 15 deadline and did not qualify for an exemption still have to pay a fee for any months they were not insured. But officials say if they sign up by April 30, they could avoid additional fees for the rest of the year.