Open enrollment for Obamacare races to an end

Kirk Lyman-Barner, an insurance agent in Middle Georgia, shows Tyrone Jenkins, a forklift driver who lives in Lee County, options for his health insurance policy under the Affordable Care Act for 2018. (PHOTO contributed to the AJC by Cori Lyman Barner)

Kirk Lyman-Barner, an insurance agent in Middle Georgia, shows Tyrone Jenkins, a forklift driver who lives in Lee County, options for his health insurance policy under the Affordable Care Act for 2018. (PHOTO contributed to the AJC by Cori Lyman Barner)

Friday, Dec. 15, is the big day for Obamacare — the final day of open enrollment.

It’s the last day when most Americans can sign up for health insurance on the Affordable Care Act’s exchange market for coverage in 2018.

With the enrollment period cut in half this year, the big question is whether people will sign up in time.

There is always a last-minute rush. Since enrollment has been surging already this year, Friday could be swamped. But agents and navigators say they and the sign-up website have been preparing.

People who want to can sign up on their own. They can go to the healthcare.gov website or call the sign-up office at 1-800-318-2596. (For TTY it’s 1-855-889-4325)

People who want guidance can call a navigator — a nonprofit guide who helps people enroll. There are a handful of navigator organizations in Georgia. The biggest is Insure Georgia, at InsureGA.org or 1-866-988-8246. Some insurance agents also do sign-ups.

Under some extreme circumstances, people can get a sign-up extension, but by then the local navigator help will be gone.