You have until midnight to sign up for insurance coverage that will start Jan, 1 through the federal marketplace.
The initial enrollment deadline of Dec. 15 was extended because of demand. At one point that day about 185,000 people accessed the website at once.
"There were over a million people who left their contact information to hold their place in line," says Laurie-Ann Curry, the executive administrative assistant at the South Central Community Action Program.
Curry says open enrollment has a rolling deadline, so if you miss the Dec. 17 midnight deadline, you can still enroll through Jan. 31.
"If you get all of your materials in and application in by Jan. 15, your coverage starts Feb. 1," Curry says. "If you don't get it done until Jan. 31, coverage starts the first."
The penalty for not having insurance coverage in 2016 is $695 per adult or 2.5 percent of a person's income, whichever is higher.