Consumers jammed call centers and enrollment offices in the final sprint toward the Friday deadline in most of the country to get Affordable Care Act health plans for 2018, defying months of naysaying by President Trump about the law’s insurance marketplaces. In several states, enrollment helpers reported a crush of interest in recent days. They will be allowed to complete their insurance applications, even if they are contacted after the deadline of midnight Pacific time. The ACA marketplaces were created to make coverage more accessible for people who cannot get affordable health benefits through a job. The Georgia group has been functioning with 15 percent of the federal navigator grant it had last year, with a reduced cadre of paid staff and a score of volunteers.

Source: Washington Post December 15, 2017 22:36 UTC