With all of the bad press that the Affordable Care Act has endured, it has been quite a task to get Americans to sign-up on the Healthcare.gov website. Many are going to pay a penalty this first year, and wait to see how it all plays out. Others haven’t signed up because they think the website itself isn’t very secure and hasn’t been properly managed.
Despite these facts, an end of the year surge has pushed the number of sign-ups over 1.1 million. This according to NBC News:
“December enrollment so far is over 7 times that of October and November,” Marilyn Tavenner, head of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, said in a blog post ahead of Tuesday night’s original deadline for applications.
The number of people that have signed up for the so-called “Obamacare” plan has risen quickly from month-to-month. Almost one million people signed up in December alone, compared to the meager 27,000 that signed up in October when the website’s launched was a running joke to most.
The White House last week signaled an extension for sign-ups, in light of the last-minute surge and earlier site errors, although it has yet to specify details.
“We are eager to assist millions more Americans gain the health security offered by the Affordable Care Act in the weeks and months ahead,” Tavenner added.
So, will Americans continue to sign-up online at the Healthcare.gov website in droves like they did in December? Or will most people wait, pay the fine the first year, and see what develops? Most of America still seems pretty split on this issue, so only time will tell what everyone decides to do.
Sources: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services | Healthcare.gov | NBC News