Rhode Island: HealthSource RI reminds residents of deadline & mandate penalty

via HealthSource RI:

The clock is ticking on picking the best health insurance plan for 2020. High quality and affordable health coverage is available through HealthSource RI, and Rhode Islanders have until December 23rd to purchase coverage that starts on January 1st.
 
Getting health insurance is even more important this year because coverage is now required in the state of Rhode Island. As of January 1st, residents who don’t have health insurance will pay a tax penalty when filing for the prior year.

AGAIN: The federal shared responsibility requirement (aka the individual mandate penalty) may have been zeroed out by Congressional Republicans, but in addition to the District of Columbia, four states (Massachusetts, New Jersey, California and Rhode Island) have reinstated it at the state level.

Luckily, there’s help! HealthSource RI is hosting an enrollment fair on Thursday, December 12th at the Rhode Island Shriners’ Imperial Room at One Rhodes Place in Cranston from 11am – 7pm. Rhode Islanders can get answers to their questions, sign up for coverage and even talk to representatives from local health insurance companies.  There will also be health and wellness checks at the fair such as bone density, blood pressure, and body fat analysis.
 
This month, HealthSource RI is also hosting enrollment events in Cumberland, Newport, Westerly, Warwick, Middletown, and North Providence. Details on times and locations for these sessions can be found here.
 
In addition to attending an event, Rhode Islanders can sign up for coverage online at HealthSourceRI.com, over the phone at 1-855-840-HSRI and in person at the HealthSource RI Walk-In Center at 401 Wampanoag Trail, East Providence. For the remainder of this month, HealthSource RI is open Monday - Friday from 8:00 am to 7:00 pm and Saturdays from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm.
 
Residents who want to stay closer to home can call 211 to find one-on-one enrollment help at a location in their community.