HealthCare.gov sign-ups for 2016 rise to 8.5 million

(Bloomberg) — More than 8.5 million people have signed up for individual health plans through the HealthCare.gov public exchange enrollment system this year or had their coverage renewed, officials said Wednesday.

The report tallies enrollees for 2016 coverage through Dec. 26 in 38 states that use the HealthCare.gov system, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) said. There was a Dec. 17 deadline for people to choose coverage that begins Jan. 1. About 8.3 million people had signed up through Dec. 19.

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The figures don’t include enrollment numbers from states like New York and California, which run their own health-insurance exchange programs.

Health-care industries such as hospitals and health insurers as well as investors are watching the enrollment numbers closely to determine what they might expect in terms of future business. And sign-ups this year are particularly important for determining whether the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) public exchange system Obamacare is thriving in the lead-up to an election year.

CMS has estimated that about 9.9 million people will be enrolled in PPACA exchange plans by the end of 2016, compared with a projected 9.1 million at the close of 2015. Last year’s sign-up period began two weeks later, and an additional state, Hawaii, is using the federal exchange this year.

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