Health insurance sign-up is working much better now, says Decorah agent

The website for the Affordable Care Act, www.healthcare.gov, is now working 90 percent of the time and can handle 50,000 users at any given time

Decorah health insurance agent Brian Huinker from Midwest Group Benefits says lots of people are still contacting him about health insurance, but some of the reasons have changed.

Some have starting applying for health insurance through healthcare.gov, but have gotten confused and want personal help.  Huinker points out that it doesn't cost consumers more to use an agent to buy "Obamacare," because any agent fees are paid by the health insurance exchange.  So Huinker says if you're wondering about whether to use an agent, "Why wouldn't you?"

Huinker says another group of people has been contacting him because they want help picking from the 33 available plans.  Other people have enrolled for health insurance by themselves, but want to know "Did I do it right?"

Huinker says it takes just half an hour for him to talk with someone to get the necessary information for signing up.  Under the terms of the Affordable Care Act, almost all Americans must have signed up by March 31st of 2014 or face financial fines.