Obamacare Signups Surge After Fears of Republican Sabotage

The number of Americans signing up for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act during the first few days of open enrollment has spiked this year compared to previous years, The Washington Post reports, citing federal officials. On Nov. 1, the first day of open enrollment, more than 200,000 Americans chose a health-care plan through Obamacare, more than double the number from the same period last year. More than 1 million people visited HealthCare.gov, roughly 33 percent more than last year. The high numbers come after Republican lawmakers repeatedly sought to repeal Obamacare at the insistence of President Trump. Obamacare advocates had accused the Trump administration of attempting to sabotage enrollment by slashing outreach and reducing the enrollment period. So far, however, state officials have expressed optimism about enrollment activity. “Enrollment year five could be a record year. It’s way ahead of where we were last year, and a big surprise,” Connect for Health Colorado spokesman Luke Clarke told The Washington Post. The open-enrollment period ends Dec. 15.