Through yesterday, the administration claims total enrollment in Obamacare health care plans had reached 5 million, 25 percent of them in the 18-35 age group, with March 31 the cut-off for open enrollment.
Originally, administration spokespersons said the goal was to reach 7 million enrollments with 40 percent of them "young invincibles," who would rarely use their insurance and thus offset the cost of older, more health-challenged individuals. Now they have backed off that number, saying that it was a Congressional Budget Office (CBO) calculation, not theirs.
Few observers expect enrollment to top 6 million by the end of the month. Even though Americans who lack health insurance will be socked with a minimum $95 tax penalty for failing to be covered, a Bankrate survey found that 34 percent of uninsured Americans don't plan on buying health insurance. The survey also found that half of people without insurance are unaware of the March 31 deadline and 70 percent are unaware that subsidies for their insurance might be available.