Politics

Report: D.C. Obamacare exchange enrolls 5

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Enrollment data from the four health insurance companies participating in the D.C. Obamacare exchange reveal just five people have enrolled.

The numbers were released Friday by Iowa Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley and Utah Republican Orrin Hatch.

CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield enrolled just two people from Oct. 1 to Oct. 30; Kaiser Permanente enrolled three people from Oct. 1 through Oct. 31; and neither UnitedHealthcare or Aetna had any enrollment data as of Nov. 4 and Oct. 24 respectively.

Grassely and Hatch sent letters to the four companies seeking the data on Oct. 24.

“With numbers like these, it’s no wonder the Obama Administration hasn’t wanted to release how many people have signed up for ObamaCare,” Hatch said in a statement.

Both Senators called for the law to be delayed.

“The chaos imposed on so many people is reason to at least delay the individual mandate, if not outright repeal it,” Grassley said.

“Whether it’s significant problems with the website, people being forced off the coverage they had or skyrocketing costs, these numbers are even more proof of what a disaster ObamaCare is and why it should be delayed,” Hatch added.

The D.C. exchange denied the senators’ report, calling it “inaccurate.” It instead claimed that as of Oct. 21, 12,294 accounts had been created and 321 accounts had selected a health plan for enrollment.

“I am very disappointed in the misleading and inaccurate report about DC Health Link, the online health insurance marketplace for the District of Columbia,” Richard Sorian, the D.C. exchange spokesman, said in a statement. “Such information is an inaccurate depiction of the strong level of interest by the residents and business owners of the District of Columbia in obtaining quality, competitively priced health insurance.”

*This story has been updated with the D.C. exchange’s response.

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