Public Officials Remind Public About Health Exchange Open Enrollment, As Signups Continue

Public reminders to get people to sign up for coverage under the Affordable Care Act are underway.

Milwaukee held an event last week as open enrollment began. Now, Madison-area officials are continuing the push.

Even with initial technical glitches, Wisconsin exceeded projections last year for enrollment in the federal marketplace, with nearly 140,000 residents signing up for coverage. This year, there are no statewide estimates on how many people will continue health coverage or sign up for the first time.

Polls that among populations the ACA is designed to help, there’s little awareness that they can sign up.

Kathleen Falk, federal health and human services director for Region V, which includes many Midwestern states. She said the first week traffic was strong the federal website Healthcare.gov

“So people are shopping, looking,” Falk said. “But we still need to get the word out.”

This year’s enrollment window is shorter, ending Feb. 15.