The latest numbers don’t include workers who signed up through federal exchanges; however, it is likely the government’s small business target will still not be reached even after those workers are accounted for, according to the report.
Nationwide, the government had predicted 2 million workers would enroll in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act’s Small Business Health Options Program, or at least 40,000 enrollees in each state.
On average, the General Accountability Office has found fewer than 5,000 workers have enrolled in 16 states that have reported data. Only one person had signed up in Mississippi, according to the report.
The GAO cited technical issues with the websites, employees’ misconceptions regarding the exchanges and delayed implementation as reasons for the low enrollment.
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