AP: Obama administration says almost 500,000 have applied for health insurance

The figures are the first to be reported since the health insurance exchanges launched Oct. 1.

The Associated Press: AP Sources: 476,000 Obamacare Applications Filed
Administration officials say about 476,000 health insurance applications have been filed through federal and state exchanges, the most detailed measure yet of the problem-plagued rollout of President Barack Obama's signature legislation. However, the officials continue to refuse to say how many people have actually enrolled in the insurance markets. Without enrollment figures, it's unclear whether the program is on track to reach the 7 million people projecting by the Congressional Budget Office to gain coverage during the six-month sign-up period. The officials did not want to be cited by name (Pace, 10/19).

Politico: Obamacare Figures Leave A Lot Unsaid
The figure is a snapshot of applications -; the first step toward getting coverage. The administration isn't planning to release until next month the number of people who have actually completed the process of choosing and enrolling in a health plan. Extensive "glitches," as the administration has called them, with the online marketplaces known as exchanges have made it impossible for most people to get all the way through the signup process, even after filling out the initial online application. At least 17 million have visited the site since it opened October 1, according to White House figures released earlier this week. ... There's no consensus on how long it could take to get the system up and running correctly, and HHS isn't saying (Kenen, 10/19).

The Hill: Report: 476,000 ObamaCare Applications Filed
HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius is under intense scrutiny as the enrollment system continues to face severe problems. ... Earlier in the week, Obama said he was "not happy" with the site's rocky rollout and was seeking "accountability" from federal employees working to fix the glitches. The president is expected to address the site's problems Monday during a health care event at the White House (Huggins, 10/19).

The Wall Street Journal: Health Law's Rocky Debut Puts Sebelius In Cross Hairs 
Sebelius, the nation's top health official, was in Tampa the other day to promote the "online shopping experience" of the federal website where uninsured Americans can now select coverage. Christopher Dawson, who sat to her left at the staged event, had tried for a week to enroll. Like others, he was foiled by "error" messages. ... With anger growing over the inability of consumers across the U.S. to access the new online marketplace, Mrs. Sebelius has become the target of late-night spoofs and calls for her resignation (Langley, 10/18).