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Healthcare Advocates: Md. Insurance Sign-Up A Success

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Healthcare advocates are calling the state's affordable care sign-up a success. With the release of the latest numbers comes a campaign to encourage those who may still qualify for part of the program to sign up.

Pat Warren reports those who qualify for Medicaid can still sign up.

Affordable healthcare advocates would like nothing more than to put the past behind them, but despite failures with the website, the state reports 330,000 Marylanders are now insured under the Affordable Healthcare Act with 263,000 of them in Medicaid.

The Maryland Citizens' Health Initiative heralds the success on radio and YouTube.

"The Affordable Care Act works. It delivers the care you need when you need it," they say.

Grace Miller and Nancy Hughes are two success stories. Hughes was uninsured for two years.

"This is the first time that I do not have to go without my medication," Hughes said.

Grace Miller, her mother and her sister also qualified through the exchange.

"Everything is great now. We all have health insurance and we're all one big, healthy family," Miller said.

The enrollment for health insurance plans has ended but there is no deadline for those who qualify for Medicaid.

"We also want the people out there who didn't enroll to know that they can do it, if you're really low income, check it out--you might be eligible for Medicaid right now," said Vincent DeMarco, Maryland Citizens' Health Initiative.

The next regular enrollment starts Nov. 15.

The state is scrapping the existing website for one with a proven track records.

Those who have plans that take effect May 1 have to pay their insurance companies by May 15.

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