Many Oregonians may be eligible for health coverage for $1 a month

SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Starting Thursday, people who have received or qualified for at least one week of unemployment benefits in 2021 may be able to get health coverage for $1 per month after advance payment of premium tax credits.  

• According to the United States Department of Labor, approximately 112,500 people in Oregon were on unemployment benefits at the highest point in January 2021.
• From Feb. 15 to May 31, 2021, as part of the COVID-19 special enrollment period, 13,708 Oregonians were newly enrolled in health coverage. The COVID-19 special enrollment period ends Aug. 15, 2021, and is open to all people who qualify to shop.
• Seven out of 10 Oregonians now qualify for financial help through the Marketplace.

The Oregon Health Insurance Marketplace encourages all people who are uninsured to explore their health coverage options and to see how much in additional savings they can now get. Anyone not currently enrolled in health coverage can apply and enroll before Aug. 15 to get health coverage with these extra savings for the rest of 2021.

Current Marketplace enrollees can log in to their HealthCare.gov account and report that they received unemployment during 2021 to take advantage of these additional savings. These savings are in addition to any additional savings that have been available since April 1, 2021, under the American Rescue Plan.

The Oregon Health Insurance Marketplace offers a quick snapshot of the plans and savings to eligible Oregonians. The tool, available at OregonHealthCare.gov/WindowShop, and has been updated to correctly calculate additional savings now available to people shopping through the Marketplace.

Start at OregonHealthCare.gov to get to the right application or to find an insurance agent or community partner organization to help complete the application and enroll. Insurance agents and community partners provide local, one-on-one assistance at no charge. This help is available virtually, on the phone, and in person following safety protocols.

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The Oregon Health Insurance Marketplace, a part of state government, helps people get health insurance when they do not have job-based coverage, and do not qualify for the Oregon Health Plan or another program. The Marketplace is the state-level partner to HealthCare.gov. For more information, go to OregonHealthCare.gov.