WaPo: States see surge in Obamacare enrollments [View all]

[spanone]

After anemic enrollment in the federal health insurance marketplace, several states running their own online exchanges are reporting a rapid increase in the number of people signing up for coverage, a trend officials say is encouraging for President Obama’s health-care law.

By mid-November, the 14 state-based marketplaces reported data showing enrollment has nearly doubled from last month, jumping to about 150,000 from 79,000, according to state and federal statistics. The nonprofit Commonwealth Fund, which has been tracking the data, called the most recent numbers “a November enrollment surge.”

The latest figures from the state-run exchanges, combined with totals on the federal exchange, brings the national number to at least 176,000. While the pace of enrollments increased this month, sign-ups are still well below early projections.

On Friday, the Obama administration announced that it is giving consumers an extra week in December to sign up for coverage that begins Jan. 1, in light of troubles with federal enrollment. Insurers worried that the change would not give them enough time to process applications.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/november-surge-seen-in-obamacare-sign-ups-in-states/2013/11/22/4233cc50-539e-11e3-9fe0-fd2ca728e67c_story.html?hpid=z1