Two critical Obamacare landmarks have just appeared, further ensuring the success of the law and of Democrats in the November mid-term elections. First, the number of Americans enrolled via Obamacare broke the seven million mark — a critical number to ensure the exchanges are profitable for the insurance companies.
The number, 7.041 million, does not include enrollees via the state exchanges on Monday, the final day people were technically able to enroll.
The new numbers were announced this afternoon by Jay Carney, the White House Press Secretary, and reported by Politico.
BREAKING: .@PressSec announces Obamacare enrollment hit at least 7.041 million through midnight last night.
— Zeke Miller (@ZekeJMiller) April 1, 2014
Â
7.041 million figure also doesn’t include undetermined number who’ve started the enrollment process but haven’t completed.
— Zeke Miller (@ZekeJMiller) April 1, 2014
Â
Those who began to shop for insurance on the Obamacare exchanges, including on the exchanges run by the states, technically my have until April 15 to complete their enrollment, if they state they honestly had difficulties in completing their sign up. That, plus the updated numbers, likely will push that seven million figure even higher.
The second critical landmark is that for the first time, a national poll finds that more Americans support the Affordable Health Care Act, aka Obamacare, than oppose it.
The Washington post/ABC News poll finds 49 percent of Americans now support the law, while 48 percent oppose it. The poll also found that among registered voters, 50 percent oppose the GOP’s efforts to repeal Obamacare, while 46 percent support it.
“Democratic support has surged to a record-tying 76 percent, jumping 11 percentage points since January to the highest level since March 2010, immediately after the law was passed,” the Washington Post reports. 44 percent of independents support the law, while just a mere 20 percent of Republicans do.
“Surprisingly,” Talking Points Memo notes, “the poll found a significant shift in support for the law among conservatives, with 36 percent of them backing it now compared to 17 percent in November.”
President Obama’s last-minute push of getting Americans to enroll — especially his appearance with Zach Galifianakis in the “Between Two Ferns” spoof — is credited with helping to break the seven million mark.
Â