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CBS: Obamacare Enrollment 'Off to an Incredibly Slow Start'

CMS War room notes 'leave no doubt that the enrollment figures, which the administration has chosen to keep secret, are available'

October 31, 2013

CBS Evening News has learned Obamacare enrollment numbers have gotten off to an "incredibly low start."

Correspondent Sharyl Attkisson reported Thursday night that early enrollment figures in notes she obtained from Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services "war room" meetings showed only six people had signed up in the first 24 hours.

By the afternoon of Oct. 2, it was up to about 100, and it was at 248 by the end of that night. The health care exchanges need to average 39,000 enrollees per day to meet the goal of seven million by March 1, Attkisson reported.

Attkisson also revealed that the continued proclamations by various administration members, including press secretary Jay Carney, that they did not know or would not reveal how many had signed up were false or an attempt to conceal the truth.

On Oct. 3, Carney told the White House press corps "we don't have that data" when he was asked how many had enrolled.

"The notes leave no doubt that the enrollment figures, which the administration has chosen to keep secret, are available," Attkisson said.

CMS head Marilyn Tavenner would not disclose the numbers, despite being directly asked by Rep. Dave Camp (R., Mich.) Tuesday, telling him they would "be available mid-November."

NBC Nightly News had surmised Oct. 10 that the reason for the dodging on questions about enrollment was that the figures were "embarrassingly low," which appears to be proven correct by tonight's CBS report.

Published under: CBS , Jay Carney , Obamacare