Covered California Extends Application Deadline

If you’ve put off signing up for health insurance through California’s health exchange, you may have some more time. Covered California announced today it will offer an extension to anyone who was not aware they would face a tax penalty if they did not have health insurance.

Peter Lee is the Executive Director of Covered California.

"We're doing this because this is the first time in history that the affordable care act is kicking in and creating the connection between health care and taxes," he says.

The extended enrollment period will last through April. Prospective buyers must indicate they were "informed of tax penalty risk" on their applications.

The original application deadline was February 15. At that point more than 474,000 Californians had signed up for health care through the exchange.