Internal notes show paltry initial enrollment in Obamacare
Washington (CNN) - Six people.
That's how many Americans had successfully enrolled in the federal health care exchange by the morning of October 2, according to documents provided to the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.
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Notes from a "war room" meeting at the Center for Consumer Information and Insurance between administration officials and contractors working on the rollout of HealthCare.gov underscore the beleaguered debut of the online marketplace.
Posted online Thursday by the House committee, the documents indicate that the six enrolled individuals were issued policies from five different insurance companies.
"Healthcare Service Corporation had the two enrollments," the notes recorded.
By the next meeting, held that afternoon, notes showed "approximately 100 enrollments" had taken place since the launch of the federal exchange.
The following morning, the total had increased to 248.
Notes released by the committee's chairman, Rep. Darrell Issa, R-California, do not include official enrollment statistics and represent an incomplete accounting of the enrollment totals, said Joanne Peters, a Health and Human Services spokeswoman.
Again, the department declined to release the number of Americans who have been able to successfully enroll in the exchange.
"We will release enrollment statistics on a monthly basis after coordinating information from different sources such as paper, online, and call centers, verifying with insurers and collecting data from states," Peters said.
Peters reiterated that a slow start does not mean that the exchange will not boast a healthy roll call by the deadline to enroll.
"We have always anticipated that the pace of enrollment will increase throughout the enrollment period," Peters said.
Citing the quiet pace at which Massachusetts residents registered for that state's health program, the spokeswoman remained confident that enrollment totals would tick up as more people learned about the exchange.
HHS remains focused on providing accurate enrollment totals and cannot yet give those figures because of collection issues.
"We have had more than 20 million visitors to the Marketplace, showing an overwhelming interest in Americans learning more about their options for affordable health care," Peters said.
The Center for Consumer Information and Insurance is part of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
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This is just useless click-bait. With the technical issues and the fact that people have been shopping around, the stats from a couple really early days means nothing and the radicals will just run with these numbers out of context to make their ideological points.
We have the ablility to take a rough poll right here. If you have signed up, tried to sign up, or plan to sign up for the Government Health Care Program include that in your post.
No kidding there isn't many takers, the prices aren't much cheaper than they were
I have not and do not plan to sign up for this Health Care Program
This isn't very helpful at all. With the technical issues and fact that people are shopping around for new products, numbers from two preliminary days mean nothing. Unfortunately, ideologues will take these numbers out of context and interpret all sorts of misinformation.
Considering we all have bodies and Obamacare was designed by conservatives in the 90s as a market-based way for everybody to pay their fair share for a service they will eventually need – health care for their bodies – it's really time for a solution rather than the anti-life position of wanting people to not get insured to save their lives.
No word from the President?
This law was one of the worst laws ever passed by the Congress...........and it was done only by Obama paying off Dems in Congress to vote for it.........under the table, in a totally fraudulent manner, and without a single Republican vote, at all.
In other words, the regime forced this law on the people.
This article is just fuel for misinformation. It really doesn't tell us anything in context.
CNN Headline says ... "Obamacare has few early takers" ... thats understating it mildly ... how about 6 people??
Obama says,
"I didn't know obamacare wouldn't work"
" I didn't know people would lose their insurance"
"I didn't know about the NSA"
"I didn't know the Boston bombers were dangerous"
"I didn't know about the IRS"
"I didn't know about Benghazi"
"I didn't know about Fast and Furious"
"I didn't know the Syrian rebels were with al qaeda"
"I didn't know the muslim brotherhood would take over Egypt"
"I didn't know al qaeda would take over Libya"
"I didn't know what Rev Wrights beliefs were"
This is the slimy liar that liberals support.
usxpatriate
I find it interesting that a great portion of the people whom need such a service, one, may not even own a computer, two, may not have the access needed to use the website, and lastly, may have little to no understanding how to use the website in way that they would need to sign up for the program. How do these people get the help that this program is meant to offer them?
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
They can call the 1-800 number and talk to a live person.
Can't wait to hear Juan Willams spin this one!
This, like nearly everything else the private sector contractors have ever done, will be just another bloated disaster and failed legislation / wasted effort / wasted money. I'm not anti "everyone getting healthcare" just this form of it. It only addresses 95% of the total uninsured, forces 7 million to change their "junk" policy, most with lower premium, lower deductibles and comprehensive coverage and offers no enforceable way to penalize those whom choose to not enroll. All it takes to completely skip the ACA is breaking even or owing on your taxes, which even the average joe can figure out easily. The penalty can only be taken from your tax return, so get ready for tens of millions of people to now stop "loaning" the government money until return season.
I'd skip the last part, as the IRS will be sending you a bill and possibly a bank or property lien if you try to play games with your personal responsibility on the ACA...
So nice to see the administration apologists here explaining how:
A) They know what WE need better than we do
B) How the GOP is an evil organization determined to destroy the nation vs leftists who, once again, know better than the rest of us what WE need.
As the day wears on we will see more Obama apoligists posting here....It's FAR too early for us to expect them to be up and posting now.
IIt's been nice (not really) knowing all you Liberals. Get Obama Care and suffer the consequences. Don't come running for a handout, I've given enough to the low life's of this nation.
ObamaCare is giant Communist power structure over United States.
The new numbers being thrown around is that 30% of Americans, all told, will have to change insurance coverage and it will be mandated. This includes self insured, small business and big business employees. Why in the world, after 3 years, did our politicians and media not know this?
So what. Most people just want to browse the products right now, anyway.
Nothing to see here... please move along... it's all over, folks... please just keep moving along...
Millions walk by the hot dog stand at Metro Center – question is how many actually bought a hot dog...
"We have had more than 20 million visitors to the Marketplace, showing an overwhelming interest in Americans learning more about their options for affordable health care," Peters said
i do not find this surprising – this is a big decision – lots of choice to make – why would we expect people to make a decision of this magnitude immediately? thoughtful consideration is called for – heck took me almost a month to decide to replace my old kindle – and it was nothing like this! give it a chance people – how long did it take people to sign up for romneycare in ma?americans, and in this case, the naysayers – want gratification yesterday.
Over 99% of individuals signing up through state exchanges are for Medicare not Obamacare
Very informative little tidbit ther Data Driven, but we knew that already didn't we?
@ Wire Palladin S.F.
Indeed. The enrollment numbers as reported for the first month will not reflect the end count.
There are folks out there in dire need of health insurance that had no chance whatsoever of getting said insurance without Obamacare. The folks with the pre-existing conditions and those that had reached their lifetime limit but are still in need of treatment.
No one references those people.
Buying insurance is not like buying a new pair of shoes. People will take their time,. They will shop around they will see who others are choosing etc. Combine this with the problems with the website, and the booga-booga atmosphere that is permeating the launch of the website and the numbers are bound to be less than desirable.
However Wire, as you said, 6 months from now the Republicans can expect to lose another few million more potential voters from their roster.
Would CNN care to discuss how many have signed up after one month?
Oh, that's right, they CAN'T, because the government has yet to release the numbers. But, by all means, report how many were enrolled in the first FEW HOURS.
Also, be sure to not make any distinction between APPLICATIONS and ENROLLMENTS. Good job, CNN! Cha-ching, amirite?