ACA Sign-Ups Running 45% Ahead Of Last Year

WASHINGTON (AP) — Sign-ups for Affordable Care Act health plans are running more than 45 percent ahead of last year's pace, according to government data released Wednesday.

The numbers from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services come as Republican senators are pushing to pay for tax cuts by repealing the "Obamacare" requirement to carry coverage.

The new figures show that nearly 1.5 million consumers picked a plan through Nov. 11, compared to just over 1 million from Nov. 1-12 last year. The share of new customers for 2018 coverage stayed at about 23 percent.

The data cover 39 states served by the HealthCare.gov website. The overall number of sign-ups is higher because states running their own health insurance markets are not included in the government data.

The Obama-era law offers subsidized private insurance for people who don't get coverage on the job. Sign-ups this year are being closely watched because of efforts by the Trump administration and the Republican-controlled Congress to do away with the law.

The Congressional Budget Office has estimated that 13 million more people would be uninsured by 2027 if Congress repeals the requirement that people buy insurance.

This year's sign-up season is only half as long as last year's. It ends Dec. 15.