HealthCare.gov Enrollment Nears 6.6M, HHS Data Show
Nearly 6.6 million U.S. residents have enrolled in coverage through the federal exchange as of Jan. 2, according to HHS' weekly enrollment update released Wednesday, Reuters reports.
That comes after about 103,000 additional U.S. residents enrolled in coverage through HealthCare.gov during the seventh week (Dec. 27, 2014, through Jan 2) of the second enrollment period (Humer, Reuters, 1/7).
HHS data show that over the seventh week:
- There were 1,954,996 visitors to HealthCare.gov;
- 246,543 applications were submitted; and
- 102,986 individuals signed up for coverage.
Enrollment has slowed compared with the fourth week, when more than one million individuals signed up for coverage. According to Modern Healthcare, that peak likely was driven by the Dec. 15, 2014, deadline to enroll in coverage that started Jan. 1 (Dickson, Modern Healthcare, 1/7).
However, the enrollment numbers suggest that overall enrollment could exceed HHS' 2015 sign-up projection, The Hill reports. The administration estimated that about nine million individuals would enroll in coverage through federal and state exchanges by the end of the second open enrollment period on Feb. 15 (Viebeck, The Hill, 1/7).
Observers say enrollment could see another increase toward the middle of January, as Jan. 15 is the deadline to enroll in coverage that will take effect Feb. 1 (Modern Healthcare, 1/7).
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