By Matt Koper/ne news editor

Students needing help enrolling into the health insurance marketplace through the Affordable Care Act came to an open enrollment event Feb. 2 on NE Campus.

Navigators like Elizabeth Watkins with Cognosante, a Health and Human Services Marketplace Enrollment Center, wanted to help students through the process, which ends Feb. 15.

“Our goal is to enroll as many students as possible,” she said. “Students might have a lot of questions on coverage, enrollment, deductibles or on quality health plans, and we’ll go over that.”

NE student Charity Kruger said she needed help signing up for care because this was her first time enrolling and said she sees the benefits of doing it now.

“It costs less, and it’s a plus because having an emergency can put you in debt,” she said. “The government has also hired people to help with the process, so that’s nice as well.”

Pat Marling, NE health services coordinator, feels students without any sort of insurance need to get coverage now, regardless if they are healthy, she said.

“So imagine you were in a car wreck, and you broke your back, and you’re gonna be there [the hospital] for several weeks. Then they send you to rehab, and you’ll be there for several months,” she said. “You would never come out of that financially.”

For information on enrolling or any other insurance-related questions, visit www.healthcare.gov.