Debacle. There’s that D-word again, and this time it’s coming not from House Republicans but from CBS News. Investigative reporter Sharyl Attkisson presented a special report on Obamacare enrollment numbers tonight, and the news was not good for the Obama administration.
Attkisson writes at CBSNews.com:
For 31 days now, the Obama administration has been telling us that Americans by the millions are visiting the new health insurance website, despite all its problems.
But no one in the administration has been willing to tell us how many policies have been purchased, and this may be the reason: CBS News has learned the number is very small.
Early enrollment figures are contained in notes from twice-a-day “war room” meetings convened within the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services after the website failed on Oct. 1. They were turned over in response to a document request from the House Oversight Committee.
The website launched on a Tuesday. Publicly, the government said there were 4.7 million unique visits in the first 24 hours. But at a meeting Wednesday morning, the war room notes say “six enrollments have occurred so far.”
Attkisson notes that the exchanges need to average 39,000 enrollees a day in order to meet the administration’s goal of 7 million signups by March 1, 2014.
CMS convened "War Room" meetings twice a day when http://t.co/MY8hg4C4JL failed…
— Sharyl Attkisson?️♂️ (@SharylAttkisson) October 31, 2013
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House Oversight Committee Darrell Issa obtained govt. notes on http://t.co/MY8hg4C4JL in response to doc reques
— Sharyl Attkisson?️♂️ (@SharylAttkisson) October 31, 2013
Those “war room” notes from the first week are available as a PDF document from CBS News.
Wed. morning notes discuss the Tuesday opening day and say "six enrollments have occurred so far."
— Sharyl Attkisson?️♂️ (@SharylAttkisson) October 31, 2013
Notes say the 6 people signed up with: Blue X Blue Shield of NC and Kansas City, CareSource and Healthcare Service Corp
— Sharyl Attkisson?️♂️ (@SharylAttkisson) October 31, 2013
By Wed afternoon, the second day, notes say enrollments rose to "approximately 100."
— Sharyl Attkisson?️♂️ (@SharylAttkisson) October 31, 2013
By the end of Wed, the second day, the notes reflect "248 enrollments" nationwide.
— Sharyl Attkisson?️♂️ (@SharylAttkisson) October 31, 2013
That’s quite a bit of growth, but not nearly enough.
The exchanges and companies need to average 39K day to make 7 million goal.
— Sharyl Attkisson?️♂️ (@SharylAttkisson) October 31, 2013
The "War Room" notes obtained by CBS News give a glimpse into some of the problems customers were having.
— Sharyl Attkisson?️♂️ (@SharylAttkisson) October 31, 2013
"Direct enrollment" (signing up directly on an insurer's website) "is not working for any issuers."
— Sharyl Attkisson?️♂️ (@SharylAttkisson) October 31, 2013
"Experian" credit reporting agency is "creating confusion with credit check information."
— Sharyl Attkisson?️♂️ (@SharylAttkisson) October 31, 2013
"Issuer phone numbers are not appearing correctly on the Pay Now page."
— Sharyl Attkisson?️♂️ (@SharylAttkisson) October 31, 2013
Any comment from the administration?
An HHS spokesman said they are in no position to confirm or discuss enrollment figures because there aren't any.
— Sharyl Attkisson?️♂️ (@SharylAttkisson) October 31, 2013
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