Organizers Urging Philadelphians To Beat Obamacare Signup Deadline
By Pat Loeb
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Federal officials have announced that more than five million people have now enrolled in a health insurance plan through the Affordable Care Act web site, healthcare.gov.
Philadelphia has one of the highest rates of signup, but advocates are not resting until the March 31st deadline passes.
Today, a signup rally in Love Park (JFK Plaza) featured elected officials and the newly insured, who testified to the "affordable" part of the Affordable Care Act.
"My rate for my health care, per month, is 27 cents," said Susan O'Connell, who said she had been paying almost $600 a month for a "Cobra" plan after losing her job. So, she noted, it was a significant savings for a plan that all her doctors accept and has lower co-pays.
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Leonard Bonarek had a similar experience:
"I was eligible for a subsidy that allowed me to purchase coverage for 15 cents a month," he said.
Vickie Goffredo of Organizing For America, the rally sponsor, says the Obama administration may not reach its goal of six million new enrollees by March 31st, but she doesn't think that matters.
"It's just really good to sign up and get health care. I mean, that's the bottom line. We just want to get people covered," she told KYW Newsradio t0day.
After the deadline, signup will close until October, except for those with life-changing events, such as a job loss.