Obamacare Enrollment Grows In Oklahoma, Unanswered Questions Remain

Nathan Elliott, News 9

OKLAHOMA CITY -- More than 24,000 Oklahomans have selected a health insurance plan offered in the federal marketplace, according to new data released by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

That's a fraction of the 632,000 uninsured Oklahomans potentially eligible for coverage under the Affordable Care Act, commonly known as Obamacare.

The deadline for individuals to purchase insurance before penalty is March 31.

The government reports that since the beginning of October, 24,667 Oklahomans have picked a plan, but several questions about enrollment remain unanswered.

The Obama administration didn't break down how many enrollees paid their first month premium, which is required to actually be insured.

Also missing from the report is how many enrollees were previously uninsured and specifics on which plans they chose.

Both are considered important indicators in measuring the law's success.

The report did include the following statistics on Oklahoma's enrollment through Feb. 1:

• 56 percent are female, 44 percent are male

• 26 percent are ages 18-34, 31 percent are ages 55-64

• 65 percent pick the Silver Plan (mid-level plan)

• 76 percent qualify for financial assistance

Nationally, HHS reported a surge in enrollment after a rocky rollout of the website where people select plans.

The White House said 3.3 million people enrolled nationwide through Feb. 1.

Oklahomans wanting to sign up for an individual insurance plan in the federal marketplace should visit HealthCare.gov.

Read the complete HHS report here.