The Obamacare Health Insurance Marketplace operating in the 36 states that declined to operate their own exchange received 2.8 million visitors the first day (Oct. 1), but Health and Human Services (HHS) officials have yet to release any data on sign-ups.
In a call with reporters, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Marilyn Tavenner said the agency would be “releasing enrollment stats regularly,” but she declined to provide any initial figures.
She said the agency received 81,000 phone calls the first day and participated in 61,000 live chats.
Which brings up the question: If the government is supposedly “shut down,” who answered all the calls and participated in the chats?