Sebelius says Obamacare enrollment 'very low'

[cali]

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today acknowledged that long-awaited enrollment figures for the rocky first month of Obamacare will be “very low.”

“We intend to give you as much information as we can validate,” Sebelius told a Senate Finance Committee hearing where lawmakers from both parties harshly criticized the rollout and her agency’s lack of foresight about the massive problems. She said the initial batch of enrollment figures being released next week cover “the first month of enrollment” and will include both Medicaid and health plan numbers in the new insurance exchanges.

Tthe Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services also announced the abrupt retirement of the chief information officer — the first high-level departure since the botched HealthCare.gov launch on Oct 1. CIO Tony Trenkle is leaving Nov. 15 for a job in the private sector, CMS said. His deputy, Henry Chao, has been identified as a liaison to key contractors who built HealthCare.gov as well as the official who briefed the White House monthly on implementation. The CMS email sent to agency employees made no mention of the flawed rollout.

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Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2013/11/kathleen-sebelius-obamacare-senate-hearing-99449.html#ixzz2jtqdtMqp

[johnd83]

1. Maybe because the application isn't due until next month?

It takes more than a few days to make a major decision like health insurance for a family for a year.

[geek tragedy]

2. Who gives an insurance company a big check months before they start getting benefits? nt

[Peacetrain]

3. Exactly..

And the younger insurance buyers will if they are anything like my 26 year old..be waiting right up to the last minute.. they better have this this running smooth as silk because they really will get inundated then and not just a bunch of right wing yahoos trying to stymie the system for political points..

[jeff47]

4. You mean people aren't going to pay a bill due Dec 15th in October???? (nt)