Health law signups keep growing; uninsured rate declines

WASHINGTON -- Nearly a million people signed up for health insurance under President Barack Obama's law even after the official enrollment season ended, helping push the share of uninsured Americans below 10 percent and underscoring how hard it could be for Republicans to dismantle the program.

The Health and Human Services Department said Thursday 943,934 new customers have signed up since open enrollment ended Feb. 22, benefiting from "special enrollment periods" keyed to life changes and other circumstances.

It's a flexible feature also common to the coverage people get through work. Sign-up opportunities for those experiencing changes such as having a baby or losing a job that came with health insurance are available year-round through HealthCare.gov and its state-run counterparts.

The steadily growing number of Americans with coverage under the 5-year-old law could make it more difficult for Republicans to repeal "Obamacare" even if they win the White House and keep control of Congress in next year's elections.

Several of the GOP presidential candidates have insisted they would scrap the law, but they would face the prospect of stripping millions of their insurance. Republican lawmakers also talk of replacing the Affordable Care Act, but the GOP has yet to rally behind an alternative.

Thursday's numbers are the first since the Supreme Court upheld health-insurance subsidies in all 50 states, turning back a challenge from the law's opponents that would have undermined coverage across much of the country.

The new figures, through June 30, are preliminary and come with a couple of caveats. The final tally could be higher, because HHS counted only the 37 states using the HealthCare.gov website. Or it could dip lower, because the initial numbers did not winnow out customers who failed to seal the deal by paying their first month's premium.