Today Is Deadline to Sign Up For Health Insurance

Connecticut officials are making a final push to help people sign up for health insurance coverage before tonight's deadline.

Access Health CT offices in Bridgeport, East Hartford, Hartford, New Haven, Norwalk, Norwich, Waterbury and Willimantic will be open from 8 a.m. to midnight. People have until midnight to get on an insurance plan and avoid a federal tax penalty under the Affordable Care Act.

Residents who don't have health coverage can shop and compare plans at www.accesshealthct.com or contact Access Health CT's call center at 1-855-805-HEALTH (4325). The call center's staff has quadrupled since open enrollment began in October.

Gov. Dannel Malloy and Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman will be at the Access Health CT office in Hartford in the late afternoon to encourage people to sign up.

Nearly 190,000 people have signed up in Connecticut.