The Obama administration is not just refusing to release Obamacare’s signup numbers, a report from North Dakota suggests, they’re pressuring insurance companies not to release them. Per InForum, “North Dakota’s #1 news website”:
The Obama administration asked North Dakota’s largest health insurer not to publicize how many people have signed up for health insurance through a new online exchange, a company official says.
During a Monday forum in Fargo for people interested in signing up for coverage via the exchange, James Nichol of Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota told the crowd his company received the request from the federal government earlier Monday. Nichol is a consumer sales manager for the company.
A look at the Blue Shield numbers in North Dakota explains the pressure:
Still, a spokeswoman from Blue Cross Blue Shield says about 14 North Dakotans have signed up for coverage since the federal exchange went live Oct. 1. That brings total statewide enrollment to 20 – less than one a day.
Meanwhile:
Medica spokesman Greg Bury said the company had received enrollment files but had not yet verified them and thus did not have an enrollment count.
Sanford had enrolled six customers as of Tuesday, spokesman Darren Huber said.
This is a disaster. At what point do we start saying “cover-up”?