BATON ROUGE - More than 43,400 Louisiana residents have signed up for health care coverage next year under the Affordable Care Act.

The enrollment figure in federal Health Insurance Marketplace plans is as of Nov. 28 and is nearly a quarter of last year's total so far.

Experts say many people are either waiting until the last minute, confused by changes, shopping around to avoid increased costs or just can't afford it.

Open enrollment ends Jan. 31, but consumers have until Dec. 15 to enroll if they want their coverage to begin on Jan. 1, rather than March 1. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, consumers who had a plan in 2015 and don't pick another by Dec. 15 will be automatically re-enrolled.