1.4M Californians Sign Up In Second Health Enrollment

SACRAMENTO (AP) — A state official says more than 1.4 million Californians have either signed up or renewed their coverage for individual private insurance in the second year of the federal health expansion.

Covered California Executive Director Peter Lee said Tuesday that 474,000 new enrollees had signed up and another 944,000 renewed as of Sunday's deadline.

Lee said California is falling shy of its initial goal of enrolling 1.7 million people as people find or lose jobs and qualify for Medi-Cal or Medicare.

The state has further extended the time for people to compete applications until next Sunday, which aligns with a federal extension.

California will announce next week whether it will grant a reprieve from a tax penalty for people who failed to sign up for coverage by the deadline.

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