"This is a long-awaited step forward for our country and our state," Gov. Jay Inslee said Monday dur

Gov. Jay Inslee speaks to the media about Washington state's new health insurance exchange during a news conference in Olympia, Wash., Monday, Sept. 30, 2013. Consumers will be able to start purchasing plans Tuesday for insurance that will take effect Jan. 1, 2014.
SEATTLE Officials launching Washington state's new health insurance exchange have said they aren't concerned that computer glitches, bad weather or even a partial federal government shutdown will stop people from signing up for health insurance when the marketplace debuts on Tuesday.
"We're not really worried about that," said Michael Marchand, spokesman for the Washington Health Benefit Exchange, which runs the Washington state programs involved in President Barack Obama's Affordable Care Act.
"This is a long-awaited step forward for our country and our state," Gov. Jay Inslee said Monday during a news conference in Olympia. "Despite the shenanigans happening in Washington, D.C., today, we're ready to go in the state of Washington tomorrow."
The state estimates about a million Washington state residents do not have health insurance, or about one in seven people. About 325,000 will be eligible to sign up for free insurance through Medicaid.
Others will get a discount on their insurance through a credit on their federal taxes. To find out if they qualify for a tax credit or may be eligible for Medicaid or another program for free insurance for kids, people will need to fill out forms online or access the exchange by telephone or in person.
The exchange will ask for some personal information, such as Social Security numbers, ages and income, but people who just want to check it out and not sign up yet can do so anonymously. The length disney vacation cruises of the sign-up process depends on how many people live in a household and how much comparison shopping is done.
Under the Affordable Care Act, people who don't have insurance in 2014 will pay a fine when they file their federal income taxes in early 2015. The fines for people who ignore the new law are scheduled to increase over time.