Where are the ObamaCare enrollment numbers?

The president and his political allies haven’t been shy about touting an ObamaCare enrollment number of 8 million. But it now seems curious that, for all their back-slapping and self-congratulations, the administration is weeks late in releasing its monthly ObamaCare enrollment report. But this delay should not be all that surprising, given that it merely...

The president and his political allies haven’t been shy about touting an ObamaCare enrollment number of 8 million. But it now seems curious that, for all their back-slapping and self-congratulations, the administration is weeks late in releasing its monthly ObamaCare enrollment report.

But this delay should not be all that surprising, given that it merely reflects a continuation of the administration’s modus operandi. The administration refused to provide information on who has paid for a policy – thereby, providing information on the number of people who are actually covered. But they have also misled the public when it comes to “shopping cart enrollees” – people who put a plan in their online “shopping cart” but haven’t yet purchased insurance – making it impossible to know how many enrollees were previously uninsured.

The original goal of ObamaCare was to reduce the number of uninsured by 14 million in 2014, with about half projected to obtain coverage through the exchange. This Congressional Budget Office estimate was based on providing private coverage and Medicaid to the previously uninsured.

Until we know how many of the supposed 8 million enrollees have paid for a health insurance policy and are now, therefore, covered and the number of exchange enrollees that were previously uninsured, we won’t have a reliable enrollment number.

This information is critical to revealing whether the president’s health-care scheme has made a dent in the nation’s estimated 48 million uninsured. It is likely that fewer than 2 million of the nation’s previous 48 million uninsured now have private insurance coverage as a result of the health-care overhaul.

ObamaCare has been costly and disruptive. Millions have had their health insurance plans canceled (with more to come), many more are facing higher premium costs and limited provider networks, and the effect on the previously uninsured may be quite small. Meanwhile, the Obama administration has been relentless in claiming that ObamaCare has been a success.

If that is the case, one has to wonder why they are not eager to release, at the very minimum, the monthly ObamaCare enrollment report. It is time for the administration to come clean on enrollment numbers.