(Radio Iowa) – Iowans are now able to open enroll under the Affordable Care Act Marketplace. Federal data shows more than 72-thousand Iowans enrolled in health care plans through the marketplace last year. Iowa Insurance Commissioner Doug Ommen says enrollment in marketplace plans has risen in recent years as more options became available. Ommen says Iowans who haven’t done this before should talk to marketplace navigators or contact the Iowa Insurance Division for help.

Ommen says, “We would encourage all Iowans, if they’re new into the market, that they need to make some effort to talk to somebody that can provide some help to them.” He says Iowans who are interested in enrolling in a plan shouldn’t wait. “We encourage people to don’t delay on their decision,” Ommen says. “Get the decision made and get things sort of locked in. That will impact the coverage in those early months, so it’s really important to get things settled, in my view, before the end of the year.”

Iowans who are interested in signing up for a plan or need help doing so can go to healthcare-dot-gov. Open enrollment opened Tuesday and runs through January 15th.