Several organizations have banded together to help enroll people under the new Affordable Care Act. To mark the first day of enrollment, they held a joint news conference at Genesis Health Center in Davenport.
Genesis spokesman, Ken Croken, says each year, the hospital provides nearly 60 million dollars in un-compensated care, because so many people in the Quad Cities don't have coverage.
"We've emerged as one of the nation's best healthcare providers," said Croken. "We're very proud of that. But what makes us unhappy is the barrier to that healthcare that now is keeping nearly 40,000 of our friends and neighbors out of this facility. Today that all changes."
Several organizations received grants to hire "navigators" to assist in the enrollment process, including Casa Quad Cities, the Rock Island County Health Department, and the Center for Independent Living.
Joyce Harant from the Campaign for Better Health Care says parts of the Affordable Care Act have already helped hundreds of thousands of people since 2010. Open enrollment, she says, will help millions more.
"Today is really an historic day as we start with the opening of the marketplace," said Harant. "Today is really a day when people can begin realizing that they can have some piece of mind and some financial security about healthcare costs. And not have to worry as much about when they get enrolled and that insurance can start January one."
To find out if you're eligible for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act, you can go to GenesisHealth.com/enroll.