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Sign-Up Season for the Affordable Care Act

It’s the time of year to sign up for health care. This year is the third that Virginians can shop around for policies through the Affordable Care Act -- or ObamaCare -- marketplace.

The question now is how many people will sign up again this year. Last year, 34-percent of those eligible for health-care through the marketplace participated. A number on par with the national average, says Massey Whorley, a healthcare policy analyst at The Commonwealth Institute, a liberal-leaning think tank in Richmond.

“Virginia exceeded federal and state expectations for enrollment. And some states have had very different experiences based on the degree to which they have embraced, or not, the affordable care act.”

Virginia has not embraced the Affordable Care Act.  Doing so would mean enrolling about 400,000 more people into the Medicaid program, and the state would pay up to 10% of the cost for that expansion.

All Americans must have coverage or pay a newly increased penalty, a minimum of $695. The Commonwealth Institute fears some people still haven't gotten that message.

"It’s going to be increasingly difficult to get those folks enrolled if they haven’t heard about it by now. Typically the folks who are not enrolled yet don’t interact with our health-care system very much."

Open enrollment through the marketplace continues through January 31st.

Mallory Noe-Payne is a Radio IQ reporter based in Richmond.
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