April 07, 2015
On Feb. 23, 2015, the Wyoming Department of Insurance issued a press release relating to a special enrollment period (SEP) for the Wyoming health insurance exchange. As background, on Feb. 20, 2015, in connection with the individual mandate tax penalty, the federal government announced it would allow an SEP for consumers in states with health exchanges run by the federal government. Wyoming is one of those states, and the press release is meant to further describe the SEP. According to the press release, the SEP is available from March 15 through April 30, 2015, and is applicable for consumers who were unaware or did not understand the implications of not obtaining health insurance coverage under the individual mandate. The SEP generally relates to individual coverage, and does not directly affect employers. However, employers should be aware of the press release, should employees have questions related to federal tax penalties or exchange enrollment. The press release includes phone numbers and other information that individuals with questions may use as a reference.