More than 40,000 New Yorkers have fought through computer problems to sign up for the new national health care program under the Affordable Care Act.
Several dozen people showed up Tuesday evening in a D'Youville College lounge to hear about the Affordable Care Act and to ask questions about their particular situation.
The event was sponsored by Assemblyman Sean Ryan, a strong supporter of the law. Ryan said the much lower than predicted costs for health coverage through the state exchange, the New York State of Health, show the plan can work as hoped.
"We get people calling all the time, saying: How does this system work? How do we get into it? You know, I'm a college kid. I don't have insurance now. Will this allow me to have insurance?," Ryan said.
"Also, we work with a lot of health clinics on the West Side of Buffalo and those health clinics have been gearing up for the last few years. Because thousands of people who live around those clinics have no access to insurance or health care but they will now. So those clinics have actually been growing."
Ryan said the computer problems will work themselves out. He said the heavy interest which has slowed state computers indicates a lot of people want the health coverage.
