Columbus Mayor Michael Coleman has launched an effort to get uninsured people signed up for health insurance coverage through the exchanges created under the Affordable Care Act. The effort involves a series of television commercials and social media ads. 60 thousand of the 160 thousand eligible Ohioans have signed up for health insurance through the exchanges so far. Others who are eligible in Ohio and around the country face a March 31st deadline to enroll. Steve Guthrie of Columbus is self-employed and was able to enroll just as his COBRA insurance expired. He says the law eliminates the preexisting conditions that prevented some family members from getting coverage in the past.
Guthrie says signing up for a plan on the 'healthcare.gov' website is relatively simple, despite the highly publicized trouble with the rollout last year.
The Obama administration wants to get 7 million Americans signed up by the end of March.