Because of heavy traffic on the state and federal health insurance online marketplace systems, anyone trying to sign up for health insurance through Access Health CT ahead of the deadline at midnight tonight is being asked to call (855) 805-4325 and leave their name, address and phone number in a secure voice mail message, Kevin Counihan, Access Health CT chief executive officer, announced today.

Access Health CT call center employees will return calls in the next few days and complete enrollment applications. Counihan said problems at the Federal Data Service Hub and a surge in demand in Connecticut has caused some people to have difficulty signing up. Anyone who leaves a voice mail message before midnight tonight will be considered as meeting the state's enrollment deadline, Counihan said.

"We do not want people who are making a good faith effort to be penalized," he said.

Midnight today is the Connecticut deadline for residents to have health insurance, or else face an annual penalty of $95 or 1 percent of income, whichever is larger.