Only 741 NJ Residents Have Enrolled in New Health Plans
NEW JERSEY 101.5
The federal government says only 741 New Jersey residents are among the 106,000 who have enrolled for health insurance during the first month of the Affordable Care Act, a number reflecting the impact of problems with the program's federally-run website.
New Jersey is among those states relying on the federal exchange. States that opted to set up their own health exchanges and websites have registered significantly more enrollments. New York, for example, has reported enrolling more than 16,000 persons during the program's first month.
Of the 106,000 nationwide enrollments reported by the Obama administration on Wednesday, fewer than 27,000 have come through the federally-run exchange website, according to Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. The rest were enrolling through state-run exchanges.
The government says 23,000 New Jersey residents submitted applications through the federal marketplace from Oct. 1 through Nov. 2. An estimated 900,000 New Jersey residents are eligible for the exchange.
According to Associated Press, federal officials had projected as many as 500,000 enrollments nationwide during the first month. Many of those enrolling in the plans are expected to be eligible for subsidies to help cover the cost of their premiums.
(The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
More Coverage:
Only 106,000 Pick Health Insurance Plans in First Month / New York Times
It's Official: Obamacare Enrollment is Super Low / National Journal