Sunday, December 15,is the deadline for open enrollment under the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. Anyone who doesn’t have health insurance for 2020 through an employer, Medicaid, Medicare, the Children’s Health Insurance Program or another source is eligible to buy or renew a plan on the online marketplace.
Residents must sign up by Sunday, unless they have a major life event that qualifies them for a special enrollment period, like having a baby or getting married.
"Five hundred thousand to 550,000 is about the average number of North Carolinians that will enroll in any given year. That's what we've seen through several years of open enrollment cycles," said Mark VanArnam, director of the NC Navigator Consortium, which helps residents sign up for coverage.
About 215,000 South Carolina residents picked a plan on the Health Insurance Marketplace in 2019, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.
Prices vary depending on income, age and the type of plan. For example, coverage for someone who makes $30,000 annually could cost between $100 and $350 per month.
North Carolina residents can book an appointment with a navigator online or by calling 1 (855) 733-3711.
