It’s not too late to apply for health insurance.

Clatsop County individuals and families who still need health insurance can submit an application and get help with the application process.

Certified Cover Oregon application assistants are available in Clatsop County to help families and individuals apply for health insurance. This includes assistants at Clatsop County Public Health Department and Coastal Family Health Center who both have staff available to provide application help, as well as answer questions about Cover Oregon, the Oregon Health Plan (OHP) and can link clients to other resources available in the county.

Individuals and families who experience a life change, such as becoming a parent or have a change in marital status, may be eligible to enroll in private health insurance outside of the normal open enrollment period. In addition, those who qualify for the OHP or Healthy Kids can apply and enroll year-round.

To qualify for OHP, individuals and families must meet certain qualifications, including income qualifications. For example, an individual who earns up to $16,000 a year, or a family of four who earn up to $71,000 a year, may qualify for coverage. A list of “qualifying life events” is listed below for those who do not qualify for OHP, but may qualify for private coverage outside of open enrollment. The next regular open enrollment period begins Nov. 15, 2015.

For more information contact Judi Mahoney, Clatsop County outreach assistance worker, at 503-358-2333 or Miranda or Janae at Coastal Family Health Center, 503-325-8315.

More information about eligibility requirements is available online at CoverOregon.com

Qualifying Life Events:

• Loss of other minimum essential coverage (health coverage) in the past 60 days.

• Gain of a tax dependent through marriage, birth, adoption, placement for adoption, or placement in foster care.

• An individual moved to Oregon from another state or changed permanent residence within Oregon in the past 60 days, or gains access to new Qualified Health Plan (QHP) as a result of a permanent move.

• Individual who was previously not a citizen, national or lawfully present becomes a citizen, national, or lawfully present.

• Enrollment or nonenrollment is unintentional, inadvertent, or erroneous and attributable to an error by Cover Oregon Health Insurance Exchange or Health and Human Services.

• American Indian/Alaska Native Qualified individuals who are Indians.

• Newly eligible or ineligible for tax credit or change in cost sharing.

• Exceptional circumstances as provided by Cover Oregon exchange.

• Released from incarceration in the past 60 days.

• Enrollee demonstrates to Cover Oregon that the QHP materially violated a provision in the contract.