Numbers released by federal health officials Thursday show that Florida led in health insurance sign-ups during extra time given during tax season.
More than 30,000 Floridians took advantage of the extended enrollment period that ended April 30. That's the highest among the 37 states that use the federal marketplace at HealthCare.gov.
The extra time was given for people who didn't know -- or understand -- they could face a tax penalty for not having health insurance coverage under the Affordable Care Act.
The penalty for going without insurance in 2015 is $325 dollars, or 2 percent of a person's income, whichever is greater.
Between Feb. 23 and June 30, 160,828 people in Florida enrolled using HealthCare.gov because they lost health coverage, became ineligible for Medicaid eligibility, had changes in family status, or took advantage of the extra enrollment time during tax season.
Enrollment for 2016 coverage starts Nov. 1.
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