Bay Area Help Available On Final Day Before Obamacare Deadline
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) - Monday is the deadline for Americans to sign up for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act, the Obama Administrations health reform law.
There were a pair of last-minute signup events being held in the Bay Area Monday. People seeking hip could head to Oakland's Asian Cultural Center or Richmond's Bay Area Rescue Mission for help filling out the forms. People who attend the events will be able to get answers to questions about coverage and go through the enrollment process on site.
Covered California, the state's health care exchange, partnered with unions, community groups and heath advocates to host the fairs.
People interested in attending should bring proper documents, including a drivers license, proof of address, proof of citizenship and income documentation.
The state already reported surpassing one million enrollees, despite problems with the national website and complaints about long wait times for many Americans calling in to enlist.
The Obama Administration says more than six million people have signed up so far.
Visitors to HealthCare.gov - the troubled exchange website run by the federal government - saw messages Monday morning that the site was down for maintenance. At times the visitors were also directed to a virtual waiting room -- a feature designed to ease the strain on the site during periods of heavy use.
Bay Area Help Available On Final Day Before Obamacare Deadline
Administration spokesman Aaron Albright said the website undergoes "regular nightly maintenance" during off-peak hours and that period was extended because of a "technical problem." He did not say what the problem was, but a statement from the Department of Health and Human Services called it "a software bug" unrelated to application volume.
Albright said consumers seeking to sign up will be able to leave their email and "will be invited back when the system is available." Consumers can also call 1-800-318-2596 to complete the application process.
