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 Republicans have long sought the number of Obamacare enrollees who
have paid premiums as potential evidence that the administration's
initial enrollment figures were exaggerated.
The figure, which administration officials stressed was not an
estimate of actual enrollment, could show that lower-income
Obamacare enrollees are proving better than initially expected at
retaining private health coverage acquired through new insurance
marketplaces set up in all 50 states.
"We are encouraged by the number of consumers who paid their
premiums," Marilyn Tavenner, a top U.S. healthcare official, said in
testimony before a congressional oversight panel.
The Department of Health and Human Services announced earlier this
year that 8 million people had signed up for 2014 coverage during an
open enrollment period that ended in April. Officials and
independent experts speculated that 80 percent to 85 percent, or 6.4
million to 6.8 million people, would actually make premium payments.
The 7.3 million figure would represent a 91 percent premium payment
rate. It is also a larger number than the nonpartisan Congressional
Budget Office's enrollment forecast of 6 million for the Obamacare
marketplace.
But HHS officials cautioned against comparisons with earlier
estimates, saying marketplace enrollment fluctuates in time as
people change jobs, marry or experience other life-changing events.
The administration had no overall enrollment estimate but said the
number would probably be higher than 7.3 million because of
enrollees who might have made monthly payments after Aug. 15.
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Thursday's figure also did not include people who enrolled in a
marketplace plan and either failed to pay their premiums or paid but
then discontinued coverage, according to the administration.
The administration released the data during a heated committee
hearing in the U.S. House of Representatives, where Republican
lawmakers criticized Tavenner about security issues surrounding
HealthCare.gov, the online portal for a federal Obamacare
marketplace that serves consumers in 36 states.
(Reporting by David Morgan; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn)
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