Updated Nov. 13, 2013 3:59 p.m. ET
The Obama administration said Wednesday that 26,794 Americans selected a private insurance plan sold through the troubled federally run health exchange in its first month, falling far short of initial expectations.
The administration, releasing the first nationwide figures on enrollment under the Affordable Care Act, said through Nov. 2, that an additional 79,391 had been able to choose a private plan in the states running their own exchanges.
The news that only 106,185 people nationwide were able to get through the sites in October comes as a significant blow to the administration, which in one memo projected some 500,000 people would obtain private insurance coverage in the first month. The Congressional Budget Office projected in May that seven million people nationwide would sign up for private plans by the end of March.
"There is no doubt the level of interest is strong. We expect enrollment will grow substantially throughout the next five months," said Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius in a statement on the release. "They're also numbers that will grow as the website, HealthCare.gov, continues to make steady improvements."
Top officials had been bracing for a low number and had sought to play down expectations for it. The Wall Street Journal reported on Monday that as of last week, fewer than 50,000 people had been able to enroll through the federal exchanges serving 36 states that declined to operate their own. The Journal's figure included some enrollees past the Nov. 2 date.
The formal release of these numbers is likely to fuel further attacks by Republican critics who have sought to repeal the 2010 health law.
The woes of the HealthCare.gov website, which prevented many people from creating accounts and enrolling in a health plan, have also put pressure on Democrats. President Barack Obama is looking for ways to bolster Democratic lawmakers up for re-election next year.
The House is set to vote Friday on legislation that would allow insurers to continue selling current insurance policies that don't meet the standards of the new law. Many people among the 5% of Americans who buy coverage on the individual market have received cancellation notices in recent weeks.
Lawmakers have argued that it is not fair for people to see their policies canceled if they cannot buy coverage through the exchanges because of website troubles. They are also pushing to delay or repeal the law's requirement that people carry coverage or pay a penalty.
Similar legislation in the Senate has already won support of six Democrats, Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, Jeff Merkley of Oregon, Dianne Feinstein of California, Kay Hagan of North Carolina, Joe Manchin of West Virginia, and Mark Pryor of Arkansas. It isn't yet scheduled for a vote.
Mr. Obama has pledged to find a way to help Americans whose individual policies are being canceled.
—Christopher Weaver and Siobhan Hughes contributed to this article.
Write to Louise Radnofsky at louise.radnofsky@wsj.com
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