The Obama administration says its rehabilitated health insurance website has seen a December surge in customer sign-ups, pushing enrolment past the 1 million mark.
Independent experts say that should put total enrolment in the new private insurance plans offered on both federal and state-run markets at about 2 million people through the end of the year.
That would be about two-thirds of the administration's original goal of signing up 3.3 million by December 31, and would represent a significant improvement given the technical problems that crippled the federal market during much of the fall.
The overall goal is to enrol 7 million people by March 31.
