(Reuters) - About 6.4 million Americans have selected a new individual healthcare plan or have been automatically signed up again for a 2015 insurance plan through the HealthCare.gov website, a top U.S. health official said on Tuesday, putting the agency nearer its 9.1 million goal.
The government agency's goal of having at least 9.1 million people enrolled in the government backed plans in 2015 compares with about 7 million in 2014, the first year of this new insurance created as part of the national healthcare reform law and offer income-based subsidies.
The 6.4 million figure includes only plans sold in the 36 states that use HealthCare.gov. The rest of the states, including California and New York, have their own online exchanges and have started to report data separately.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell said during a webcast press briefing that she expects to release nationwide enrollment in a monthly report next week.
Out of the 6.4 million sign-ups, about 1.9 million are new customers and 4.5 million are re-enrollments, Burwell said. People who actively signed up for coverage in 2015 accounted for the mid to high 30 percent range of re-enrollments, she said.
HealthCare.gov had set a Dec. 15 deadline for customers to actively shop for a new plan or to be re-enrolled automatically for coverage beginning Jan. 1. The enrollment period closes Feb. 15.
(Reporting by Caroline Humer; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)