Consumers face deadline to get health coverage

Enrollment ends at midnight Thursday for consumers who missed purchasing federally required 2015 health coverage at HealthCare.gov because they didn't know about the new insurance requirements. Consumers who enroll by the end of Thursday can avoid paying a penalty for not having health insurance during the 2015 tax year, when the cost will rise sharply. But they'll still be on the hook for lacking insurance in 2014, unless they qualify for a special exemption.

Marianne Udow-Phillips, director of the University of Michigan's Center for Healthcare Research and Transformation, said plenty of people are still learning the details of the federal Affordable Care Act. But enrollment has been high in Michigan and continues to increase, she added.