Few sign-ups during special ‘tax season’ ObamaCare enrollment period

A total of 143,000 people bought healthcare during the Obama administration’s special “tax season” enrollment period, which was intended as a grace period for uninsured people facing a first-time ObamaCare penalty this spring.

The smaller-than-expected number signals a tough battle ahead for the Obama administration as it tries to help millions of uninsured people sign up for healthcare coverage to avoid the individual mandate fine.

Tax season sign-ups made up 15 percent of the nearly 1 million people who signed up for coverage on the federal marketplace after this year’s enrollment deadline of Feb. 15. The figures include all sign-ups from HealthCare.gov, which covers about three-quarters of states.

{mosads}This year’s tax season is the first time uninsured Americans had to pay a fine for lacking coverage. The Obama administration announced shortly after the Feb. 15 deadline that they would be extending the time until April 30 to better align with tax season for people who had to pay the penalty.

People without coverage over the last year were forced to pay $95 or 1 percent of income, whichever is greater. The fine increases sharply next year, costing $325 or 2 percent of income.

About 12 percent of people remain uninsured in the U.S., according to a Gallup poll released this week — approximately 29 million. Since ObamaCare, about 15 million have gained insurance.

This year’s grace period is a one-time deal, as officials have said there would be no “tax season” enrollment period in future years.

The 143,934 signups are in addition to the 10 million people who signed up for coverage during the regular enrollment period — a figure that meets the administration’s goal but comes short of a previous estimate by the Congressional Budget Office.

The administration said the numbers showed a “healthy demand for health insurance coverage” among people who might otherwise have faced a gap in coverage.

About half of people who signed up after the deadline had experienced a loss of coverage because of changes in their income or family status.

Each year, special enrollment periods are also open to individuals and families with “qualifying life events,” such as a loss of coverage, a marriage or an adoption, or an enrollment error by the marketplace.

Half of late applicants had experienced a loss of coverage, while 19 percent said they were determined ineligible for Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program in their state.

Another 800,000 people were allowed to apply late because they had been given an incorrect tax form from the Obama administration — an error that renewed GOP criticism of the Department of Health and Human Services’s ability to handle complex tax changes under ObamaCare.

HHS Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell has told reporters that the department hadn’t set a goal for the number of sign-ups.

“We haven’t set a projection,” Burwell said in March.