Enrollments through HealthCare.gov top 1 million

Nearly 1 million individuals signed up for private health plans through HealthCare.gov during December. That brings total enrollments through the federal exchange to 1.1 million during the first three months of operations, according to the CMS.

The figures were released in a blog post by the CMS Administrator Marilyn Tavenner on Sunday. "We are in the middle of a sustained, six-month open enrollment period that we expect to see enrollment ramp up over time, much like other historic implementation efforts we've seen in Massachusetts and Medicare Part D," Tavenner wrote.

The surge in late enrollments marks a stark reversal from the first two months of operations for the federal exchange, when technological problems made signing up for coverage extremely difficult. More than seven times as many people signed up for coverage in December as in the first two months combined. The open enrollment period continues until March 31, after which most individuals will face a financial penalty if they have not obtained coverage.

State exchanges witnessed a similar surge in enrollments in the days leading up to Christmas. Covered California, for example, was enrolling nearly 30,000 people per day. The deadline for signing up for coverage that takes effect at the start of 2014 was initially Dec. 23, although that date has been relaxed for the federal marketplace and many state exchanges.

The enrollment figures come with a caveat. Insurers don't consider a customer enrolled until they have made their first payment. Most insurers are allowing payments to arrive as late as Jan. 10 for coverage that will take effect at the start of the month.

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