Push On To Get Health Insurance By March 31 Deadline Or Risk Penalty
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Getting every American to sign up for health insurance has put President Obama on web shows like "Between Two Ferns" with comedian Zach Galifianakis.
President Obama: "Have you heard of healthcare.gov?"
Galifianakis: "Here we go. Let's get this out of the way. What did you come here to plug?"
And local politicians are out at rallies like one in Homewood on Tuesday, to encourage everyone to sign up at www.healthcare.gov.
So far, 160,000 Pennsylvanians have enrolled, but many more have not, including Dylan Farer of Brookline, who is still uninsured.
"My girlfriend is actually pushing me to because I can't let it slip away," Farer told KDKA money & politics editor Jon Delano.
And time is slipping away.
"My mom, she was downsized. She got a new job. She was a contractor. She actually just signed up for Obamacare last week," said Anna Carlino of Swissvale.
Actually, it's private insurance made affordable through Obamacare, say supporters.
"The majority of them will be eligible for federal tax credits which will help them pay for their insurance, and they can have that piece of mind if they have an accident or something happens to them it won't cause a financial disaster in their families," said U.S. Rep. Mike Doyle, a Forest Hills Democrat.
While the poor have Medicaid and seniors have Medicare, Obamacare is for the working middle class.
In Pennsylvania, the average uninsured person is white, male, with a job, high school educated, between the ages of 35 and 54.
If you miss the March 31 deadline, you can no longer enroll for coverage until next fall and you will pay a penalty when you file your 2014 taxes -- $95 or one percent of your income, whichever is more.
Health care advocates hope you will listen to the celebrity moms.
Jonah Hill's mom: "Taking care of yourself so your mothers can sleep and have a nice life after all they've done for you is not too much to ask."
Jennifer Lopez' mom: "So please get covered."
Alicia Keys' mom: "Do it for your mom."
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