Groups tout outreach behind Ohio health care sign-ups

COLUMBUS (AP) — Groups in Ohio that helped enroll residents in health plans through the federal insurance marketplace said today that in-person assistance was key to getting people to successfully sign up, particularly minorities.

Final enrollment figures released Thursday by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services show that 154,668 Ohioans signed up for coverage under President Barack Obama’s health law. The final figure fell short of the administration’s target of 190,000 by March 31, a goal set before the insurance marketplaces opened.

Having counselors available to residents at community colleges, churches and other facilities in Ohio helped bolster enrollment, said Trey Daly, state director of the national nonprofit Enroll America’s sign-up campaign in Ohio. He and other groups involved in enrollment efforts told reporters on a conference call that such help was especially effective among minorities and harder-to-reach groups, such as younger Ohioans.