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The Obama administration touted the latest sign-up figures for health coverage as proof that the Affordable Care Act is working and shouldn’t be overturned in the face of Republican opposition and a legal challenge before the Supreme Court. ... “The Affordable Care Act is now an important part of everyday lives of millions of Americans. They finally have the financial health and security that comes with affordable health coverage,” [HHS Secretary Sylvia Mathews] Burwell told reporters Wednesday. “One thing is sure, Americans don’t want the progress that we’ve made to be taken away from them.” (Radnofsky and Armour, 2/18)

The Obama administration said Wednesday that 8.6 million people in 37 states had selected or renewed health plans through the federal insurance marketplace, and that most of them would suffer if the Supreme Court blocked premium subsidies for consumers in those states. ... Sylvia Mathews Burwell, the secretary of health and human services, said she did not know how many of the 11.4 million people were previously uninsured. But she said that more than 85 percent of those obtaining insurance in the federal marketplace qualified for premium subsidies in the form of tax credits. It was, she said, inconceivable that Congress meant to deny premium assistance to them — simply because their states did not set up exchanges — while providing it to residents of New York, California and other states that run their own insurance marketplaces. (Pear, 2/18)

Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell said Wednesday that she was optimistic about reaching the Obama administration’s goal of having 9.1 million Americans enrolled in coverage under the health care law by the end of the year. More than 11.4 million people selected private health plans or re-enrolled in coverage through the nation’s health insurance marketplaces during the three-month enrollment period that ended last Sunday for most people. But officials expect that number to dwindle to 9.1 million throughout the year as people drop coverage for a variety of reasons, including nonpayment of premiums, relocation, and changes in employment and marital status. (Pugh, 2/18)

State and federal governments saw a huge, last-minute surge in Obamacare sign-ups ahead of last Sunday's deadline, boosting total enrollment that surpassed the administration's expectations. Of the 11.4 million Americans who have newly enrolled or re-enrolled in private health coverage through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) this year, 8.6 million signed up through the federal marketplace and about 2.8 million through state-based exchanges, federal officials said Wednesday. ... Now many officials are considering a special enrollment period for Americans who discover at tax time they'll face a penalty for not having insurance. Burwell said federal officials will make a decision in the next two weeks. (O'Donnell and Unger, 2/18)

Americans who have started enrolling for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act can still sign up, and the U.S. government is weighing whether to open a special enrollment period for those who missed Sunday's deadline, the health secretary said on Wednesday. So far, 11.4 million Americans have enrolled in private health insurance through the health reform law known as Obamacare during the open enrollment period that ended on Sunday, according to the White House. (Heavey, 2/18)

Pressure is building on the Obama administration to give uninsured people a second chance to sign up for ObamaCare before they are slapped with a fine. People without insurance in 2015 will pay a fine of $325 or 2 percent of their income, whichever is greater, during next year’s tax season. (Ferris and Sullivan, 2/19)

The Obama administration may take as many as two weeks before deciding whether to extend open enrollment for consumers who realize they'll face a hefty tax penalty for not obtaining health insurance coverage this year, HHS Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell said during a news briefing Wednesday. (Dickson and Demko, 2/18)

The federal government and a number of states that enroll people for health insurance are under increasing pressure to give people facing a tax penalty for not buying plans last year another chance to get covered. Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell Mathews reiterated at a press conference Wednesday that federal officials will decide in the next two weeks whether to re-open enrollment for such individuals. (Adams, 2/18)

About 11.4 million people signed up for insurance through the marketplaces created under the health care law during a just-completed open enrollment period, according to a video that the White House released late Tuesday featuring President Barack Obama and Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell. (Adams, 2/18)