In a blog post today by Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ Marilyn Tavenner, over 5 million American’s have now enrolled in a federal or state-run marketplace as part of President Obama’s signature healthcare law.
This was an increase of nearly 800,000 in just the last two weeks alone and suggests the administration may, in fact, get very close to their enrollment goal of 7 million despite some contrarian’s projections early on. Philip M. Schiliro, a health care adviser at the White House, confirmed the strong rise in sign ups and said the final enrollment numbers would be “better than many people anticipate.”
The blog post also showcased specific examples of how some consumers were obtaining insurance for just $22 a month compared with over $800 a month before the new healthcare law was enacted.
Open enrollment officially ends on March 31. All American’s must enroll in a health insurance plan by that date or they’ll face a tax penalty and will no longer be able to receive government tax subsidies to help reduce their monthly insurance costs.