So far, only five people have officially enrolled in health insurance plans through the health insurance exchange in Washington, D.C., according to a report from The Hill.
Sens. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) announced the number last week after contacting the health insurers offering policies through the exchange, which is independent from the federal health insurance exchange and its website, HealthCare.gov, according to the report.
CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield reported two enrollees through the D.C. exchange, and Kaiser Permanente reported three as of the end of October, according to the report. Aetna and UnitedHealthcare didn't report processing any enrollments from the District's marketplace as of Oct. 24 and Nov. 4 respectively.
However, health insurer Aetna told Sens. Hatch and Grassley in a letter that the District isn't sending enrollment data to the insurance companies until people pay their first premium, according to the report. This indicates there are other people who have signed up for plans but aren't counted as enrolled because they haven't paid their first premium. According to the exchange, D.C. Health Link, 321 people had selected plans and 164 had asked for their first invoice as of Oct. 21.
Richard Sorian, communications director for the D.C. exchange, issued a statement saying District residents and business owners have a "strong level of interest" in the exchange, according to the report. Mr. Sorian called the senators' report "misleading and inaccurate."
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