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.
More articles on health insurance exchanges:
Most PPACA enrollees happy with plans, Commonwealth Fund finds
478k people at risk of losing insurance or subsidies this month due to data discrepancies
PPACA support drops to 35%, poll finds
