Monday Deadline To Begin Applying For Covered California, Must Be Finished By April 15th

SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS)— If you're having trouble enrolling for coverage through California's health insurance exchange by the March 31st deadline, you may have a little extra time to complete the process.

While there's no extension of the deadline to sign up for Covered California, people who begin the enrollment process by Monday's deadline will have until April 15th to finish the process.

Covered California Executive Director Peter Lee acknowledged that there is likely to be an increase in applications as the deadline approaches and that the exchange's website is running slowly.

"For months and weeks, we've been telling Californians, don't wait, enroll now. It's still our mantra. The last day for open enrollment remains March 31st," he said.

Lee said this is to make sure that people who have started that application process can then get across the finish line.

People who do not sign up for health insurance through the exchange by March 31st will not have another opportunity until open enrollment for 2015 begins in the fall.