Deadline nears for federal health care registration

People who aren’t covered by health insurance have until midnight Sunday to register for federal coverage as part the American Affordable Health Care, also referred to as “Obamacare.”

Colorado applications are being handled by Connect For Health Colorado, which provides assistance and information about a variety of coverage plans.

To register or obtain information, call 855-752-6749 or visit http://connectforhealthco.com.

The Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments was open this weekend to personally help uninsured people with questions about and instructions for registering.

“We were really steady all day (Saturday) and had ten people come in (Sunday morning),” said Lisa Hietala, insurance program manager. “The people I’ve seen have been recently unemployed and lost insurance, never had it, or just moved here and want to enroll.”

Reuben Boyd, 34, of Widefield, fits the profile. He has a wife and two kids but has never had insurance.

“It’s a good time to do it,” he said, as he filled out an application. “I’ve been lucky.”

However, Boyd said he previously had trouble when he tried to apply over the phone.

“I tried to get insurance on the phone, and somehow my emails locked up and they couldn’t get into it, and they couldn’t fix it for me on the phone,” Boyd said. “Basically after hours and hours of waiting, I got nothing. So I had to come here.”

Hietala said uninsured people who don’t register by the deadline are subject to a two percent penalty on 2015 tax returns.

The program is the result of President Obama’s effort to provide affordable health care to millions of uninsured Americans, but has been criticized for being too expensive and inefficient.