Missouri health advocates are trying to encourage more minorities and rural residents to sign up for insurance through a federally run website.
An open enrollment period begins Saturday for 2015 insurance policies offered on HealthCare DOT gov, the online insurance marketplace established under the federal health care law.
About 150,000 Missouri residents already are covered by insurance policies available through the site. They will automatically be re-enrolled but can change policies if they want.
The nonprofit Missouri Foundation for Health has distributed $4.5 million in grants this year for regional organizations to promote the website and help people sign up. The foundation says it increased the money flowing to groups working with minority residents in urban areas and to organizations based in some rural areas such as the Bootheel.
