6.4M people sign up for ObamaCare so far
The Obama administration on Wednesday announced that 6.4 million people so far have signed up for ObamaCare coverage for next year, touting strong growth despite the threat of repeal.
The 6.4 million signups are through the preliminary deadline of Dec. 19, which is 400,000 more people compared to the numbers through last year’s preliminary deadline. The final deadline to enroll is not until Jan. 31, when the administration hopes to have a total of 13.8 million people.
The Obama administration listed Pennsylvania, Florida, Texas, North Carolina, and Georgia, as the states with the highest number of signups.
Officials touted the number released Wednesday as evidence that people are still eager to sign up and get coverage despite the threat of Republicans repealing ObamaCare.
{mosads}Secretary of Health and Human Services Sylvia Burwell told reporters that the enrollment numbers show that “doomsday” predictions about the ObamaCare marketplaces have not panned out.
She noted that people are still signing up despite attention to premium increases and the threat of repeal.
“The headwinds have increased,” she said, noting that her department is sticking with its projection of 13.8 million people signing up by the end of the process, which would be an increase of about 1 million people over last year.
Burwell urged Republicans not to repeal the law given the people who rely on it for coverage. Officials noted that over 30,000 people have called the ObamaCare call center worried about coverage going away due to a repeal.
The 6.4 million enrollees includes 4.31 million returning enrollees and 2.05 million new enrollees. The number of new enrollees is down from last year, when 2.4 million new enrollees signed up by the preliminary deadline.
This year’s enrollment period will have a wrinkle since the incoming Donald Trump administration, opposed to ObamaCare, will be taking over with 11 days still remaining in the sign-up period.
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