The deadline to sign up for health care for this year under the Affordable Care Act is Tuesday, January 31. Even with the prospect of the ACA, also known as Obamacare, going away, Washington officials say there are good reasons to enroll through the state's Washington Healthplanfinder website. Public health officials say, if you buy insurance through the Washington state's health benefit exchange, you’re signing a contract. That means no matter what Congress does, the coverage should be good through 2017. And, during that time, the health plan you purchase should continue to cover things mandated by the Affordable Care Act, such as free birth control and preventive care including cholesterol and blood pressure screenings.
King County Public Health is holding a series ofenrollment events at a variety of locations between now and Tuesday’s deadline.
King County says working with community, labor and business groups to get people signed up has yielded results.
Since Obamacare took effect three years ago, the number of uninsured in the county has declined by 50 percent. The number of uninsured African-Americans has gone down by two-thirds.
