White House: More than 1 million now enrolled in Obamacare

News outlets reported on the numbers, released today in Hawaii where the president is vacationing.

Politico: New Obamacare Figures: 975,000 In December
Nearly 1 million people signed up for health insurance through the federal Obamacare exchanges between Dec. 1 and the Dec. 24 deadline for getting coverage by the start of the new year, according to figures released by the administration Sunday. The 975,000 people who enrolled during that window bring the total number of federal sign-ups to more than 1.1 million since the rocky rollout of the government's Healthcare.gov website on Oct. 1 (Allen, 12/29).

NBC News: Last-Minute Surge Pushes Obamacare Sign-Ups To 1.1 Million
The White House last week signaled an extension for sign-ups in light of the last-minute surge and earlier site errors, although it has yet to specify details. "We are eager to assist millions more Americans gain the health security offered by the Affordable Care Act in the weeks and months ahead," [CMS director Marilyn] Tavenner added. ... However, there are concerns as to whether the program will work as advertised on January 1, Reuters reported - with some insurance industry executives expressing fear that some people who need medical care during the first days of 2014 will head to the doctor, only to find there is no record of their new insurance (Jamieson, 12/29).

The Associated Press: Federal Health Market Surpasses 1 Million Signups
The administration has yet to provide a December update on the 14 states running their own exchanges. While California, New York, Washington, Kentucky and Connecticut have performed well, others are still struggling. Still, the end-of-year surge suggests that with HealthCare.Gov now functioning better, the federal market may be starting to pull its weight. The windfall comes at a critical moment for Obama's sweeping health care law, which becomes "real" for many Americans on Jan. 1 when coverage through the exchanges and key patient protections kick in. ... For Americans who successfully chose insurance plans by Dec. 24, coverage should start on New Year's Day for those who pay their first month's premium by Jan. 10 (Lederman, 12/29).

And --

Reuters: Exclusive: U.S. Government Urged To Name CEO To Run Obamacare Market
The White House is coming under pressure from some of its closest allies on healthcare reform to name a chief executive to run its federal health insurance marketplace ..Advocates have been quietly pushing the idea of a CEO who would set marketplace rules, coordinate with insurers and state regulators on the health plans offered for sale, supervise enrollment campaigns and oversee technology, according to several sources familiar with discussions between advocates and the Obama administration. ... The White House is not embracing the idea of creating a CEO, administration officials said (Morgan, 12/29).