In the White House Rose Garden, President Barack Obama recently stated that more than 7 million people had signed up for coverage through the federally facilitated and state-based exchanges. While supporters of the law say that this is an indication that the Affordable Care Act is working, many detractors are unconvinced, citing that it's still not known how many formerly uninsured people have signed up as a result.
A new study, however, claims to have the answer.
Approximately one-third of individuals who have selected plans did not have a private plan or employee benefits prior to enrolling, according to a report performed by the Rand Corporation, a public policy think tank.
The Los Angeles Times reported further that only a small portion of those uninsured who selected plans have actually paid for their first month's premium. Just 858,000 of these individuals are believed to have paid their insurer for coverage.
Detractors of the ACA have pointed to this as being a key issue, and ought to be considered the true and accurate representation of how many people have enrolled for a health plan.
A day after the target date and initial open enrollment deadline, Pres. Obama announced that the administration had reached its goal of insuring at least 7 million people by the end of March. Those who began the sign-up process but did not complete it have until April 15 to do so without penalty.
"Regardless of your politics, or your feelings about the Affordable Care Act, millions more Americans with health coverage is something that's good for our economy and our country," said Obama.
He added that he's confident the law will continue to progress forward and make life better for numerous Americans both this year and in the days to come.
