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Healthcare Deadline Extended For Domestic Violence Victims

Health and Medicine

Persons who are married and a victim of domestic violence, have until the end of May to enroll for affordable health care coverage through the state marketplace, known as Kynect.

According to Andrea Miller, economic justice services coordinator for the Kentucky Domestic Violence Association, the special enrollment period for victims was created because of confusion over how to file for a tax credit under the Affordable Care Act.

"You don't want sometimes to be filing jointly for tax purposes, for any purposes. Plus, it also might violate a protective order, because it requires that you have contact with each other in order to do that,” said Miller.

Miller said it's taken time for the IRS and the Treasury Department to exempt victims from a requirement to file jointly to receive a tax credit that helps them pay for their health care premiums. That's why the enrollment deadline for married victims filing separately is now May 31.

The tax credit in question is available to individuals and families who earn from 100 to 400 percent of the federal poverty level. Even though enrollment for affordable health care coverage began last October, Miller said, the new tax credit guidelines weren't issued by the IRS and Treasury until late last month.

"And so what this is allowing them to do, is to be able to keep their credit that they were entitled to receive, without filing jointly," added Miller.

Through the end of March 370,000 Kentuckians had enrolled for new health care coverage. That's more than one out of every 12 residents of the state.

The Kynect call center is: 1-855-459-6328

The link is: https://kyenroll.ky.gov

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