UNDATED (WSAU-Wheeler News) More Wisconsinites are looking to Obama-care for their health insurance. Almost 170-thousand state residents have signed up for this year’s subsidized coverage in the federal purchasing exchange as of last Friday. That’s 13-percent more than all of last year, with a month still remaining in the current sign-up period.
The open enrollment began November 15th and runs through February 15th. By then, the Obama administration expects just over nine-million people to be signed up for this year’s coverage under the Affordable Care Act.
A month ago the government said about 90-percent of the Wisconsin patients were eligible for some type of subsidy. Penalties go up in the coming year for those who refuse to go without health insurance. The first year’s penalty was $95-dollars or 1-percent of income above the filing thresholds of $10,000-plus for individuals and $20,000 for families. The 2015 penalties are $325, or 2-percent of incomes.
