This month marks the final month of open enrollment and let me start by being honest: Things haven’t gone as planned.

When I arrived at the Connector in December I found individuals and families frustrated. Many people reported glitches preventing them from completing their online applications. Worse yet, sometimes they could not even get a live person on the phone to help. I suspect some consumers started the process and just gave up.

This was not the experience that the residents were expecting when Hawaii’s version of Obamacare exchanges, the Hawaii Health Connector, came online.

We here in Hawaii are lucky to have a strong tradition and framework that provides health insurance to more than 92 percent of the residents here. But 8 percent of the population is still uninsured 8 percent too much.

Forty years ago, Hawaii made history by passing a visionary law that changed the landscape of health care. The Prepaid Health Care Act or "Prepaid" as many call it delivered on the promise that if you work more than 20 hours a week, you will have the security of health insurance. That promise remains intact today.

But the Connector takes it a step further.

Many families today find themselves struggling to figure out how to make ends meet and still get health coverage for the entire family. Maybe one parent works and has health coverage but their job does not offer any coverage to a partner, spouse or children. Under Prepaid, that family may not be fully covered. The Connector offers an affordable health care insurance alternative.

For part-time workers, having the opportunity to get coverage despite working less than 20 hours per week is now possible through the Connector. For entrepreneurs in our community, having coverage might mean the difference between pursuing a lifelong dream, or not. The Connector offers an affordable health insurance alternative here, too.

In short, Obamacare sets up a marketplace to get coverage that wasn’t there before. This will mean peace of mind to many. Best of all, it means that insurance companies can no longer discriminate or deny coverage to someone who has a pre-existing condition.

The Connector works with the state to help families determine if they are eligible for Medicaid the state’s no-cost health program. If the state finds that you aren’t eligible for Medicaid, the Connector will step in and offer other health insurance options and possible tax credits.

If you have a family of four making less than $108,360 a year, the tax credits can make a real difference, reducing the cost of health insurance by hundreds of dollars. We estimate that Hawaii residents already enrolled with us will realize about $6 million in tax credits by the end of this year that’s money in their pockets.

But we know the process of selecting a health insurance plan is not easy and the technical problems have not made it any easier. That’s why on all islands, our community partners have Kkua helping young adults, families and small businesses get coverage with in-person assistance.

Stephen Nii, who runs the 125-year-old Nii Superette in Waipahu, is just one case in point. Stephen called up the Connector to get the help he and his employees needed to sign up for coverage. Nii not only got all of his employees signed up but found out that he was eligible for the small business tax credit, helping his family business save a little more to keep its lights on another 125 years.

While we may continue to debate the future of the Connector, for the next week we need to focus on one thing help everyone get covered.

Whether you apply online, by phone, or in person, we encourage you to explore the health insurance options available through the Connector and sign up for coverage by March 31