Only 'hundreds' enroll in Illinois exchange

Crain's Chicago Business reports:

Only hundreds of people enrolled in the Illinois health insurance exchange in October, state officials said today, offering the first glimpse into an online marketplace that has been vexed by glitches.

Insurance carriers have told state officials that "hundreds" of consumers signed up in October, said Jennifer Koehler, director of the Illinois Health Insurance Marketplace. But she and Cristal Thomas, Illinois deputy governor, cautioned that it was just a guess since federal officials haven't yet provided enrollment figures.

The state officials and Michael Gelder, senior health policy adviser to Gov. Pat Quinn, briefed reporters today about the exchange at a fellowship in Chicago held by the Society of American Business Editors and Writers.

"With data from D.C.'s four participating health plans in, there's been a whopping five people enrolled in the city's exchange," Mr. Hatch said, according to a statement. "That's right, five. Whether it's significant problems with the website, people being forced off the coverage they had or skyrocketing costs, these numbers are even more proof of what a disaster Obamacare is and why it should be delayed."

Kathleen Sebelius, secretary for the federal Department of Health and Human Services, which is implementing the exchange rollout, acknowledged this week that the numbers for October would be "quite low." The agency is expected to release more specific numbers in mid-November.

Even in Strongman Obama's Illinois, things aren't going peachy.