Number of health insurance exchange enrollees hits 3 million

After an initially troubled rollout, the state and federal healthcare exchanges established by the Affordable Care Act have allowed a growing number of enrollees to sign up for health insurance. According to The Los Angeles Times, roughly 3 million people have been able to enroll through the online insurance marketplaces, and this figure represents about 1 million additional individuals since the end of December.

The Washington Post cited Health and Human Service data that found 800,000 people signed for coverage during the third week in January. After technical issues with HealthCare.gov were largely resolved, enrollment numbers started to hit the government-set goals initially laid out. Under the ACA, there are a number of benefits available to Americans who meet specific financial requirements. For instance, four-member families that earn approximately $94,000 per year qualify for government subsidies.

At the same time, the ACA created minimum standards for coverage and benefits that employers must meet under certain conditions. While the numbers recently released by the government are positive overall, officials are still unsure whether the White House's goal of 7 million enrollees by the March deadline is attainable.