California Makes Final Drive For Health Coverage

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - Whether it's a chance for a subsidy or to avoid a tax penalty, Californians are making a last-minute dash to sign up for health coverage.

Midnight marks the enrollment deadline under President Barack Obama's health reform law. Covered California, the state's insurance exchange, is reporting a final surge after it already had enrolled more than 1 million people for individual policies.

Covered California spokesman Dana Howard says the exchange's website was working normally, unlike the federal government's website, which had a technical problem Monday that prevented new users from creating accounts.

Although applicants can sign up online or by phone, many were stopping into registration sites hosted by unions and community groups to get face-to-face help.

Those who start the application process by midnight will have until mid-April to finish.

AP-WF-03-31-14 1739GMT