The deadline for U.S. residents in most states to sign up for Obamacare if they want coverage by January 1 is today, December 23. What’s the big deal? Most Americans will be required to have some kind of health insurance in 2014 or face a fine.
There has been so much confusion and misinterpretation of the new health care, that most uninsured Americans have not selected a plan. If you’re without health coverage now, or your plan ends December 31, you may want to get covered as soon as possible to avoid any fines.
Although the healthcare.gov website had quite a few mishaps during its initial launch, “We screwed it up,” President Barack Obama admitted Friday, the pace of the site is around 25,000 per day since November.
According to Nurse Alice Benjamin, Obamacare is necessary for a healthier America:
The biggest myth is that people do not need health insurance. What most Americans may not realize is that America, while one of the richest countries in the world has many of the worst health care outcomes. Unlike auto insurance — where you might be lucky enough to never get into an accident and use your benefits — aging and getting sick are inevitable. From the time we’re born until the time we die, access to health care and preventive services greatly affect our quality of life and our ability to be functioning citizens. We cannot work when we are sick. We can’t anticipate accidents or emergencies. We can’t choose our genetic makeup. Many of us are in socioeconomic situations that impact our environment, education, access to certain foods and safe places to live that predispose us to certain conditions. Therefore, while there are many things that affect our health, increasing access to quality health care for millions of Americans is the best place to start.
Obama has expressed his confidence over the past several days that the changes to the site have helped and enrollment numbers are increasing. “The law is working,” he said in a statement. “If you don’t have health insurance, go to [the site] right now and sign up. If you do it before December 23, you can be covered on the first day of the New Year. … I’m asking you to spread the word about getting covered.”
So far, one million Americans have enrolled in ObamaCare and while the number may seem high, it is far below the 3.3 million the administration had hoped for prior to the October rollout who are uninsured and need the insurance.
If you do not have medical insurance and have not explored your options, visit healthcare.gov today and choose a plan before the midnight deadline.
