Nashville kicked off the first day of healthcare open enrollment in Tennessee with an Affordable Care Act launch event.
Open enrollment began Tuesday, but it brought with it major questions and concerns.
Blue Cross Blue Shield left the exchange and coverage premiums are expected to rise.
Mayor Megan Barry said those issues shouldn't stop people from signing up.
"Maybe they work full time for a big company, but they have a pre-existing condition that excludes them from coverage. The Affordable Care Act protects all of these people. And here's the thing - none of us know when we're going to get sick and when that happens, we want to be ready," said Barry.
The Program Director for Get Covered Tennessee said that one explanation for the premium hikes is that not enough young and healthy people are signing up. She said the Affordable Care Act can only work efficiently when young people get coverage.
"A lot of people are listening to a lot of things going on such as the icnrease but because a lot of those people are in the lower income range they can get the best discounts. And some people have paid as little as 5 dollars a month for premiums," said Director Sandy Dimick.
While Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee will not offer coverage in Nashville, plans through Cigna and Humana are still available. Open enrollment runs through Jan. 31.
