ANCHORAGE—Online healthcare exchanges are a major part of the Affordable Care Act (commonly know as Obamacare), but in Alaska and more than 30 other states using the federal Healthcare.gov marketplace, website troubles are keeping people from signing up for insurance.
Outreach to sign up Alaska’s nearly 140,000 uninsured has been extensive, including efforts by trained healthcare navigators working with the United Way, application counselors stationed at more than a hundred community health centers and partnerships with the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium.
Despite those efforts, by Thursday, outreach officials could only confirm seven Alaskans had signed up for coverage.
“I haven't signed anybody up,” Joan Fisher said flatly from her office at Providence Hospital on Thursday.
