While open enrollment will continue through January, the deadline to apply for health insurance coverage effective Jan. 1 is Dec. 23, according to a statement released by the Massachusetts Health Connector Wednesday.
The federal deadline to buy insurance for Jan. 1 is Dec. 15, but Massachusetts allows additional time under state rules.
According to the Health Connector, the state’s health insurance marketplace, nearly 28,000 existing members had purchased new plans as of Dec. 7, after open enrollment began on Nov. 1. More than 24,000 new shoppers had bought or chosen plans.
State officials have encouraged people who buy their own insurance through the Connector to shop around this year, as large premium increases are expected for many people who shop through state-backed insurance exchanges that were formed under the Affordable Care Act.
