PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — An estimated 700,000 Pennsylvanians currently have no health insurance, and there are just 10 days left to get affordable coverage through the state’s online health insurance marketplace, known as Pennie.
The Jan. 19 deadline for Pennie health plans is actually an extension. Normally, the final deadline is Jan. 15, but that’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day, so state officials added four extra days to give people until next week Friday.
Announcing the extension at Beckett Life Center, a North Philadelphia community center, Pennie Executive Director Devon Trolley pushed back on the three most common reasons people give for not signing up.
First, to those who think they don’t need insurance because they’re young and healthy: Accidents happen, she says. “Think about health insurance as protection against what you can’t control and can’t see coming.”
Second, for those who think they can’t afford insurance: There are a variety of plans available, and the cost will never be more than 8.5% of your income. “What you pay for Pennie is based on your income — so, if you make less, you pay less.”
She notes, some plans cost $0 a month.
Third, for those who are simply overwhelmed by the process and the options: Help is available, she says. “We have call center representatives that are both English- and Spanish-speaking, and we even have in-person help throughout the commonwealth.”
Carol Zachary Smith, Beckett’s executive director, says she used to pay $1,100 per month for a family insurance plan. Now she enrolls through Pennie and gets the same coverage for free.
“It can be a little challenging, but they know a lot,” she said. “So I implore you, once you give them the information that they need, they can help you through it.”
On the up side, Trolley says, a record 410,000 Pennsylvanians have health coverage for 2024 through Pennie.
All plans cover essentials, including primary care visits, hospitalizations, immunizations and mental health treatment.