Health-care signup deadline coming soon

Did you know ACA enrollment starts Nov. 1? Last year at this time, TV was loaded with advertisements to enroll in the Affordable Care Act. This year, it's just people like me trying to get the word out with our social media and letters like these.

Here is some information you may not know: Even though our government isn't advertising, people who aren't covered can still be fined.

According to GetCoveredAmerica.org, the penalty for not having health insurance is 2.5 percent of your total household adjusted gross income, or $695 per adult in a family and $347.50 per child under 18 (for tax year 2017). The maximum penalty is $2,085. Help is available: If you are single and earning less than $48,400 or a family of four earning less than $98,400, there are subsidies. Eligibility is determined by whether your household income is between 100 percent and 400 percent of the poverty threshold.

Enrollment runs from Nov. 1 through Dec. 15 for coverage that begins Jan. 1, 2018. GetCoveredIL.org has a Get Covered Connector that will help you find in-person help. There are already many scheduled offline times for the enrollment sites (midnight to noon most Sundays during the enrollment period), so be persistent. You can also find more information at Healthcare.gov.

Allison Mortland

Arlington Heights