White House: 12.2 million enroll in ObamaCare for 2017

About 12.2 million people signed up for ObamaCare plans during the 2017 enrollment period, the Trump administration announced Wednesday. 

The total falls short of the Obama administration’s projected signups of 13.8 million people and is slightly down from the 2016 enrollment period, when 12.7 million people signed up for plans. 

Democrats accused the Trump administration of sabotaging enrollment when it pulled $5 million in ads that were to air in the final weeks of open enrollment. 

{mosads}Of those who signed up for plans for 2017, 31 percent were new customers, the Trump administration said. 

81 percent had their premiums reduced through a subsidy. 

The vast majority — 71 percent — signed up for the mid-level Silver plan. 

The numbers come as Republicans look to repeal and replace ObamaCare. The current House GOP plan, called the American Health Care Act, would eliminate the law’s subsidies and replace them with smaller, refundable tax credits based on age instead of income. 

The plan would also eliminate most of ObamaCare’s taxes and the requirement that everyone have health insurance. 

The plan is facing opposition in the House from conservatives, who call the tax credits another entitlement and argue that all of ObamaCare should be repealed. 

In the Senate, several Republicans have also expressed concern that the GOP plan would leave millions without health insurance. 

The Congressional Budget Office indicated in a report this week that 24 million people could become uninsured under the GOP plan by 2026.