Sebelius stops in North Jersey urging procrastinators to enroll for health coverage

With the health care enrollment deadline fast approaching, the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services paid a visit to Montclair State University Monday to urge New Jersey residents to sign up before it’s too late.

People who have not signed on to a private healthcare plan by March 31 will be locked out until next year and may face a $95 penalty.

Health secretary Kathleen Sebelius says those who are eligible for Medicaid but are not offered the option due to their state’s refusal to expand the program will be the only exception.

“If you don’t have the ability to pay those bills and you have turned down the opportunity to actually provide for yourself and your family somebody else is picking up that tab, so your fee is because you’re spreading that risk to others at this point,” Sebelius said.

Those who miss the next week’s deadline will not be eligible to sign up again until the fall and that coverage would not kick in until January 2015.