As of mid-August, 7.3 million people had officially enrolled in health plans through the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act exchanges, CMS Administrator Marilyn Tavenner told the House Oversight Committee yesterday, according to a report from The Hill.
That's 700,000 less than the enrollment number federal officials initially released this spring. Still, it's more than the original Congressional Budget Office projections of 6 million for the exchanges' first year. Ms. Tavenner said the enrollment total — which represents people who had signed up for plans and paid premiums by Aug. 15 — is "a strong number," according to the report.
CMS spokesman Aaron Albright said the 8 million enrollees reported earlier this year may have included duplicate sign-ups. The drop in estimated enrollment drew criticism from House Oversight Chairman Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), who said during the hearing that people who signed up but didn't complete the process by making the first premium payment got a "free ride" for the 90 days they were allowed to remain enrolled, according to the report. However, Mr. Albright countered that consumers weren't allowed to receive benefits and weren't considered actually enrolled until they made a premium payment.
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