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Ravens Cornerback Voices His Approval Of Affordable Health Care In Radio Ad

BALTIMORE(WJZ)—Ravens star cornerback Lardarius Webb voices his approval of affordable health care in a radio ad designed to encourage people to enroll by the March 31 deadline.

Pat Warren has more on the rollout at the Park West Medical Center.

With time running out, the Maryland Health Exchange steps up its game with a NFL play.

The Ravens cornerback encourages Marylanders to use the state's 2-1-1 call center, an end-run, so to speak, around the flagging health exchange website.

 "Pass this 2-1-1 number along to your friends and family. It is very important," Webb said.

Unlike the website, the call center gave Barbara Gruber a human navigator.

"The card came in the mail. I carry this everywhere. This is better than a birthday card," said Gruber, newly insured.

Small businessman Jamal Lee has his own affordable health care story.

"My wife almost died a little while ago, and I found her on the floor dying. I picked her up, called the ambulance, took her to the hospital and she had emergency surgery right there on the spot. We didn't have to think about where to go. We didn't have to think about whether she'd be covered or whether it was going to be concern or an issue, nothing like that because she got the coverage," Lee said.

As for issues with the website, Webb sets his sights on the success.

"I realize all the negative, but there's a lot of positive things around them and that's what I'm jumping on board with," Webb said.

As of March 8, nearly 41,000 Marylanders had signed up for private health care plans.

In addition to those private plans, nearly 200,000 Marylanders have enrolled in Medicaid.

To listen to the ad, click here.

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