Health insurance enrollment deadlines near

People who don’t buy health insurance plans through an employer and choose to buy off Healthcare.gov need to buy a plan by Dec. 15 to have coverage by Jan. 1.

Healthcare.gov is the federal insurance marketplace created through the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. Kansas uses the federal marketplace because it did not set up its own exchange.

Open enrollment runs through Jan. 31, but the deadline for coverage at the beginning of 2016 ends Tuesday.

This year’s enrollment numbers are on track to surpass last year’s open enrollment.

As of Saturday, 34,182 Kansans selected health plans through the marketplace. By Dec. 15 last year, 39,023 people signed up for coverage. But that was more than a week later.

“We feel very good about the progress we’ve made,” said Kevin Counihan, CEO of Health Insurance Marketplaces for the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

He said the days leading up to the deadline become increasingly popular enrollment dates, but urged people not to procrastinate.

Healthcare.gov added new features this year to help consumers shop and compare plans. The features include an out-of-pocket cost calculator and search functions to look up doctors and prescription drugs.

Out-of-pocket costs include deductibles, co-pays and co-insurance. Under the Affordable Care Act, out-of-pocket costs can reach up to $6,600 for individual plans and $13,200 for families. And that’s excluding the amount paid in premiums.

“It pays to shop,” Counihan said.

Some individuals can receive tax credits and subsidies to help pay for insurance.

To shop for plans and buy insurance, visit Healthcare.gov or call 1-800-318-2596.

This story was originally published December 9, 2015 at 2:17 PM with the headline "Health insurance enrollment deadlines near."