Last-minute Obamacare customers given two more days to sign up

CEO Kevin Counihan said the deadline was extended because of “unprecedented demand and volume” at the government’s call center and website.

Under the Affordable Care Act, individuals who go without health insurance in the coming year are likely to be penalized on their income taxes. But consumers who want coverage to begin January 1 had to select a plan by 11:59 p.m PST Tuesday, which, with the extension, is now 11:59 p.m. PST Thursday.

“We guide them through applying on the website what documents they might need to get health insurance going through the information and helping them pick a plan that’s best for them, ” said Lignell. Enrollment figures have not been released yet for the third year of open enrollment under the Affordable Care Act, which runs from November 1 to January 31. Nationally, more than 4 million Americans made plan selections by the same date, with 36 percent of them being new consumers. During the first five weeks of enrollment, almost 600,000 Floridians had signed up for a plan – more than any of the 38 states using the federal platform, according the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Now, eight in 10 current enrollees qualified for financial help and most can get coverage for $75 or less after tax credits, according to HHS.

The hardest groups to reach have been the invincibles – young people who are just starting out in their careers or families – and minorities. Take Care Utah is a network of nonprofits trying to help people understand their health insurance options.

Among subsidy-eligible people, the average penalty is $738 per household, the foundation estimates, while people who don’t qualify for subsidies will face an average penalty of $1,450. If someone signs up by Jan. 15 for coverage taking effect February 1, they won’t pay a penalty and the same is true if they sign up during the last two weeks of January for coverage taking effect March 1, she said.