The administration had estimated that nearly 500,000 people would enroll in October, according to internal memos cited last week by Rep. Dave Camp (R., Mich.); but as WSJ reports [4], initial reports suggest that fewer than 50,000 people successfully navigated the troubled federal health-care website to enroll in private health insurance plans as of last week. The figures represent an improvement from the website's first days. On Oct. 1, when it opened, only six people signed up for coverage, according to internal administration memos but remains 90% below expectations with only 4 months until seven million are expected to have signed up for private coverage when the open-enrollment period is set to end.
And on a quiet news day... (h/t @bondskew)
Via WSJ, [4]
Initial reports suggest that fewer than 50,000 people successfully navigated the troubled federal health-care website to enroll in private health insurance plans as of last week, two people familiar with the matter said Monday.
The early tally falls far short of internal goals set by President Barack Obama's administration in the months leading up to the opening of the HealthCare.gov site Oct. 1, and the low number has worried health insurers that are counting on higher turnout.
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The administration had estimated that nearly 500,000 people would enroll in October, according to internal memos cited last week by Rep. Dave Camp (R., Mich.). An estimated seven million were expected to gain private coverage by the end of March, when the open-enrollment period is set to end.
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Health and Human Services spokeswoman Erin Shields Britt said Monday she couldn't confirm the enrollment numbers. She added, "We have always anticipated that initial enrollment numbers would be low and increase over time."
In some cases, insurers have reported duplicated 834s and other data-integrity problems,
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The initial federal numbers set for release this week are expected to show enrollment only through the end of October, so the figures are expected to be lower
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Supporters of the law say they expect the largest share of enrollees to arrive late this year. When Massachusetts rolled out a similar statewide health overhaul in 2007, only 123 people signed up in the first month. That figure has been cited by Obama administration officials who have taken pains to play down expectations for the early enrollment numbers
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Mr. Ulrich, who runs his own financial-planning firm, said he wanted to sign up by Dec. 15 but is hesitating because he also wants to review small-business plans. That part of the site isn't yet working.
"I've got a month to make a decision, and I don't even have the information available to me," Mr. Ulrich said.
The tight timeline has health insurers worried.
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The administration hasn't said whether it will release demographic data such as ages when it announces the number of enrollees.