A Boothbay Harbor couple is extolling the virtues of the Affordable Care Act in a statewide advertising campaign. Abbie and Brian Shaw are a self-employed married couple featured in an Enroll 207 commercial. The Shaws credit Enroll 207 with helping them find an affordable health insurance option two years ago.

The 30-second commercial features the couple in their Boothbay Harbor home. The couple tells how the Affordable Care Act saves them thousands of dollars a year in health care premiums. In the commercial, Abbie Shaw says, “I’m tickled not to be paying $15,000 per year for health insurance.”

Brian Shaw praised the couple’s health care plan for providing additional benefits for nearly half the cost of their former private insurance. Brian Shaw was 64 when the commercial was filmed last year. He appreciated his subsidized plan providing free medical checkups.

“Now we’re able to see a doctor when we should,” Brian Shaw says in the commercial.

The commercial is part of Enroll 207’s marketing campaign to educate the public about the Affordable Care Act’s health insurance plan’s availability in Maine. The commercial explains that in 2014, 90 percent of Mainers qualified for a federally subsidized plan.

The commercial encourages those without health insurance or seeking a more affordable option to enroll by the Jan. 31, 2016 deadline.

The Shaws moved to Boothbay Harbor in 2007. She is a chef. He is a cabinet maker. They are both self-employed and struggled for years to finance the entire cost of health insurance.The problem was further exacerbated when they moved to Maine. The couple earned less money in Maine and found fewer health insurance options.

“Before the ACA, we basically had one option: Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield. We paid $1,500 per month in premiums with a $5,000 deductible. With Obamacare, it’s now $250 per month with a $2,000 deductible,” he said. “We’re getting better coverage for less money.”

The Maine Health Access Foundation contacted the Shaws about appearing in the commercial. A nonprofit established in 2000, the foundation is the underwriter and developer of the Enroll 207 website and advertising campaign. Enroll 207 assisted over 44,000 Mainers in finding affordable health insurance last year, according to its website.

Boothbay Harbor resident Dr. Wendy Wolf is the MHAF’s executive director. She is also the Shaws’ neighbor. Dr. Wolf advised her neighbors about the Enroll 207 website and asked if they would share their story.

“We were looking for real Maine people to discuss their experience on the (MHAF) marketplace. So they could be the voice of Maine people notifying their neighbors about the availability of low-cost health insurance,” Wolf said.

The couple appeared in the commercial due to a belief that all Americans need health coverage.

“It’s important that everyone be covered. You can get wiped out in an instance,” Brian Shaw said. “People have options with the ACA they didn’t have before. We thought it was important to tell our story to encourage everybody to get covered.”

Brian Shaw is no longer buying insurance from the Maine marketplace. When Shaw turned 65 he qualified for Medicare. Abbie Shaw is 57 and she plans to continue purchasing the subsidized heath insurance.