Oregonians who do not get health insurance through their job, OHP, Medicare or a similar program might qualify for help paying for 2021 coverage. Individuals making as much as $51,040 per year and families of four making up to $104,800 may get help paying for coverage.
To apply, visit OregonHealthCare.gov before Dec. 15 and answer a few Oregon-specific questions to get to the right application. The “get help” directory on the site can assist in finding an insurance agent or community partner organization that can help complete the application and enroll.
Insurance agents and community partners provide local, one-on-one assistance at no charge to the client. This help is available virtually and over the phone, according to a news release.
Oregon’s U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley and U.S. Reps. Peter DeFazio, Earl Blumenauer, Greg Walden, Kurt Schrader and Suzanne Bonamici requested on Nov. 30 for enrollment to last through the end of December after a year marred by the coronavirus pandemic and historic wildfires.
“Extending the Open Enrollment … is critical to protecting the health and wellbeing of Oregonians and all Americans. We urge you to take this step immediately to ensure people have access to the affordable and comprehensive health coverage during these unprecedented times,” the lawmakers wrote in their request.
The current scheduled close for Open Enrollment is Dec. 15. The Oregon members wrote to the Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Seema Verma to push for approval of Gov. Kate Brown’s request to extend the deadline to Dec. 31.
“The crisis is also far from over: around 1,000 new cases of COVID-19 are being reported each day, and over 50,000 Oregonians have filed new unemployment claims since the beginning of September,” the lawmakers wrote.
