More Americans sign up for coverage

With less than three weeks remaining in the open enrollment period, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released the latest numbers on how many people have secured health insurance benefits.

Since October, approximately 4.2 million have enrolled for health insurance through either the state- or the federal-based marketplaces, HHS reported. Most utilized the federally controlled exchange site, which is HealthCare.gov.

"Over 4.2 million Americans have signed up for affordable plans through the marketplace," said Kathleen Sebelius, HHS secretary. "Now, during this final month of open enrollment our message to the American people is this: you still have time to get covered, but you'll want to sign up today - the deadline is March 31."

The White House and HHS set a goal of insuring 7 million people by the end of March. Most consumers believe the enrollment deadline should be extended even if this benchmark isn't achieved, according to a separate survey conducted by coverage information company HealthPocket.

Other details from HHS on how many people have signed up show that roughly 1 in 4 who enrolled in February was between the ages of 18 and 34, and more than 8 in 10 of all enrollees are eligible for subsidies.