News Local/State

Health Care Enrollment Exceeds 6 Million

 

President Barack Obama says more than 6 million Americans have signed up for coverage through the new health insurance markets created by his overhaul.

That's a milestone, fulfilling a goal set by Congressional Budget Office and embraced by the White House.

The president made the announcement during an international conference call with enrollment counselors and volunteers, while traveling in Italy.

Monday is the deadline to enroll in the new insurance exchanges, although many people will still be able to take advantage of extensions announced this week.

Six million sign-ups is an achievement, considering the HealthCare.gov website didn't work when it was launched last October. 

It's still short of the original target of 7 million. And there's no word on how many consumers have sealed the deal by paying their premiums.