March 24, 2015
On Feb. 23, 2015, the Alaska Division of Insurance issued a press release relating to a special enrollment period (SEP) for the Alaska health insurance exchange. As background, on Feb. 20, 2015, the federal government announced it would allow a SEP related to the federal tax penalty for consumers in states with health exchanges run by the federal government. The press release states that Alaskans who "first became aware of, or understood the implications of, the shared responsibility payment in connection when preparing their 2014" federal income taxes will have the opportunity to avoid the penalty in 2015 by signing up for coverage during a SEP between March 15 and April 30. To qualify for the SEP, Alaskans must certify that they filed their tax returns and paid the penalty for not having coverage in 2014.
The news release does not require any new compliance obligations or otherwise affect employers in Alaska. However, employers will want to be aware of the news release should employees have questions relating to SEP opportunities in the exchange.
Press Release »