More than 1.6 million people have selected coverage through HealthCare.gov in the opening three weeks of enrollment, according to the latest federal data. But newcomers still represent a minority of those signups.
Almost two-thirds of those plan selections were made by customers returning to the exchange site to renew their health plan or choose a new one. That breakdown echoes what happened in the first two weeks.
The pace of enrollment and coverage renewal is surpassing last year's open-enrollment period. After the first three weeks of 2014's enrollment window, not quite 1.4 million people had selected a health plan. However, the beginning of last year's open enrollment fell during the Thanksgiving holiday. Last year's data also accounted for 37 states that used HealthCare.gov, compared with 38 states that are using it this year.
HHS predicts 11 million people will have coverage by the end of next year, a modest goal, compared with previous administration projections and Congressional Budget Office figures. Consumers have until Dec. 15 to enroll for coverage that begins Jan. 1. Open enrollment ends Jan. 31.
If the federal and state exchanges continue to attract sicker patients and don't balance out the risk pool with younger, healthier people, it could create problems for the Obama administration's signature healthcare reform law. UnitedHealth Group, the nation's largest insurer, said it will consider exiting the Affordable Care Act's exchanges by 2017 if it continues to suffer losses.
