The federal government has extend an important deadline for people who need individual health insurance in 2016. High demand on healthcare.gov prompted officials to extend the deadline for coverage that takes effect January 1. 
Health insurance shoppers now have until 11 p.m. Alaska time on Dec. 17 to buy a health plan that begins the first day of the new year.
The open enrollment period lasts until the end of January, but customers who buy plans after December 17th will have to wait until later in January or February for their coverage to begin.
Most Alaskans who buy insurance on healthcare.gov are eligible for hundreds of dollars in monthly subsidies to help pay premium costs.
Annie Feidt is the Managing Editor for Alaska's Energy Desk, a collaboration between Alaska Public Media in Anchorage, KTOO Public Media in Juneau and KUCB in Unalaska. Her reporting has taken her searching for polar bears on the Chukchi Sea ice, out to remote checkpoints on the Iditarod Trail, and up on the Eklutna Glacier with scientists studying its retreat. Her stories have been heard nationally on NPR and Marketplace.
Annie’s career in radio journalism began in 1998 at Minnesota Public Radio, where she produced the regional edition of All Things Considered. She moved to Anchorage in 2004 with her husband, intending to stay in the 49th state just a few years. She has no plans to leave anytime soon.
afeidt (at) alaskapublic (dot) org | 907.550.8443 | About Annie
