'Obamacare' site sees more than 6 million sign-ups: White House

Advertisement
By Agence France-Presse | Updated: 28 March 2014 19:19 IST
More than six million Americans had registered for health insurance under US President Barack Obama's reform by Thursday, fewer than initially hoped but in line with revised projections.

Obama announced the numbers in a telephone call from Italy to health care officials and volunteers, the White House said, marking a surge in enrollments before a March 31 deadline.

The figure exceeds the revised estimate of six million put forward last month by the Congressional Budget Office, which had downgraded its previous sign-up prediction of seven million after a problem-plagued debut for the "Obamacare" federal website.

The online portal allows consumers to shop for plans and register online. The first months of the program, which launched October 1, suffered from disastrous technical glitches which have since been fixed.

Advertisement

Obama's approval rating has been hard hit by his unpopular health care reform, and Republican candidates have seized on Obamacare as perhaps the key campaign issue of the 2014 mid-term elections.

Advertisement

(Also see: Obamacare signs up 2.2 million people in 2013, a quarter young adults: Report)

The controversial new law, opposed by Republican lawmakers as a drastic intrusion of big government into the lives of ordinary citizens, requires most Americans to have health insurance or pay a fine.

Advertisement

But the president has gone on a full-court press in recent weeks to boost enrollment numbers particularly among young adults.

Uninsured Americans must begin the sign-up process by March 31, and complete it by April 15, to avoid the penalty.

Advertisement

Officials cited what they described as high volume Web visits and phone calls to sign-up help centers as evidence Americans were eager to register now that kinks have been ironed out.

"The president encouraged the navigators and volunteers to redouble their efforts over the next four days and leave no stone unturned in trying to bring affordable health coverage to as many Americans as possible by the March 31 deadline," the White House official said.

 

For details of the latest launches and news from Samsung, Xiaomi, Realme, OnePlus, Oppo and other companies at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, visit our MWC 2025 hub.

Further reading: Health Care, Internet, Obama, Obamacare
Advertisement

Related Stories

Popular Mobile Brands
  1. Tecno Megapad 2, Tecno Watch GT 1S and Tecno FreeHear 2 Debut at MWC 2026
  2. iPhone 17e vs iPhone 17: Price in India, Features, Specifications Compared
  3. MacBook Pro (2026) With M5 Pro, M5 Max Chips Launched in India: See Price
  4. Apple MacBook 'Neo' Listed on Regulatory Website Before Imminent Launch
  1. Apple MacBook Neo Reportedly Listed on Regulatory Site Hours Before Anticipated Launch
  2. Tecno Pop X Launched in India With 5,000mAh Battery, IP64 Rating: Price, Specifications
  3. Tecno Megapad 2, Tecno Watch GT 1S and Tecno FreeHear 2 Unveiled at MWC 2026: Availability, Features
  4. Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice OTT Release Date: Know When and Where to Watch it Online
  5. MediaTek Showcases AI Glasses at MWC 2026; Demonstrates Emergency Satellite Alerts With Starlink
  6. Devagudi Now Streaming Online: Where to Watch Intense Drama Online?
  7. Jab Khuli Kitaab OTT Release Date: When and Where to Watch Pankaj Kapur and Dimple Kapadia Starrer Romantic Drama Online?
  8. Apple Introduces M5 Pro, M5 Max Chips With New Fusion Architecture on 2026 MacBook Pro Models
  9. Apple Studio Display, Studio Display XDR With 27-Inch 5K Displays Launched in India: Price, Features
  10. Jockey Now Available for Streaming Online: Where to Watch This Tamil Action Movie Online?
Download Our Apps
Available in Hindi
© Copyright Red Pixels Ventures Limited 2026. All rights reserved.