Deadline approaches to purchase health insurance

Time is running out if you want health coverage on Jan. 1.

Monday is the deadline for people who want to be insured for the start of the new year.

Open enrollment continues through Feb. 15. Anyone who does not enroll for insurance by the end of open enrollment can face a tax penalty.

Some last-minute insurance shoppers spent the day at an enrollment office in Colorado Springs.

Paul Henley said he wanted to sign up in person because he had issues purchasing insurance online.

“I went through trying to get on the website, and you have trouble there, and you try to call and you can’t get ahold of a person,” he said.

Others had no issues buying insurance before the deadline.

“It was a piece of cake,” said Jim Kotsaftis. “I was very pleased with that.”

Kotsaftis went to the enrollment center to see if he could switch insurance providers.

“Best-case scenario would be to get an insurance company that would cover my need,” he said. “I’m not happy with my current insurance company.”

Connect for Health Colorado announced Thursday that 24,811 people have signed up for coverage since the enrollment period began Nov. 15.