Senate Republican Party Mitch McConnell of Kentucky isn't impressed with the number of Americans who used HealthCare.gov to select a health care insurance plan.
The Obama administration announced on Wednesday that just over 106,000 Americans selected coverage plans during the first month of the Affordable Care Act's enrollment period.That's far below the half of million people the White House had hoped for at this point.Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius told reporters she remains optimistic the beleaguered website will be fixed, but the GOP leader says that's little consolationFrom McConnell's office: "Even with the administration’s Enron-like accounting, fewer people have signed up for Obamacare nationwide than the 280,000 who've already lost their plan in Kentucky as a result of Obamacare mandates. And today’s enrollment announcement will be cold comfort for the millions who’ve lost the coverage they liked and the millions more facing higher premiums. Only in Washington could placing an item in a virtual shopping cart—without even buying it—count as a sale. If private businesses used that standard, online retailers would be poised to announce their best earnings season in American history."The majority of those who have signed up—approximately 79,000—used the state exchanges while a mere 27,000 purchased insurance through the federal site.Supporters of the health care law point out that over 975,000 Americans have completed the process but have yet to choose a plan.Ironically, McConnell's home state has been a bright spot for the president's health care law.The KyNect enrollment numbers showKentucky was among the top four states with 5,586 people signed up behind only Washington, New York and California. And the demographics of those who did might shock observers.From CNBC: In data released by Kynect, it was revealed that a surprising 41 percent of enrollees were under the age of 35; that 59 percent were women compared to just 41 percent men; and that the highest-priced "platinum" plans were the second-most popular coverage option after the mid-priced "silver" plans. The cheapest, "bronze" plans, were the least popular, with just 12 percent opting for them.
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