TaxAct to Help Taxpayers Shop for Health Insurance

Consumer tax prep software maker TaxAct has signed an agreement with the health insurance exchange GetInsured to help taxpayers compare and apply for health insurance.

GetInsured helps individuals and families compare and choose a health insurance plan and provides a tool that estimates whether users qualify for tax credits to help pay for insurance or for government-sponsored plans such as Medicare or CHIP.

In September, the tax prep chain Jackson Hewitt Tax Service also announced that it was partnering with GetInsured to help customers enroll in the new insurance options under the Affordable Care Act (see Jackson Hewitt Offers Help with Obamacare).  After the troubled rollout of the federal government’s HealthCare.gov site in October, many taxpayers who don’t have health insurance are facing a deadline this week of enrolling for health coverage now that the site is reportedly working more reliably. The Obama administration announced Monday that the deadline for people who want coverage by Jan. 1 has been pushed back by a day, until Dec. 24.

"We are excited about this partnership, as we share the common goal of helping consumers navigate their tax and health insurance options with greater confidence and ease," says TaxAct president JoAnn Kintzel in a statement. "Like GetInsured, we focus on providing quality solutions at an affordable price."

In September, TaxACT launched healthcareact.com with a free guide, calculators and information about health care-related tax law changes. TaxACT 2013 federal products were released in October and include the latest Affordable Care Act tax provisions. The program also includes a personalized HealthWatch report on the potential impact these provisions may have on a user's taxes and health care in 2014.

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