Calif. Health Exchange Tops 800,000 Sign-Ups

SACRAMENTO (AP) — More than 800,000 Californians have signed up for insurance through mid-February on the state's health care exchange.

Covered California, as the exchange is known, released updated enrollment figures Wednesday showing that nearly 829,000 people had signed up for individual policies through the first two weeks of February.

In September, before open enrollment began, the Obama administration estimated that 1.3 million Californians would sign up for coverage through the federal Affordable Care Act on the state-run exchange. Open enrollment ends March 31.

Covered California Executive Director Peter Lee says the state exchange has already exceeded its own enrollment projections.

In addition to the private policies, another 877,000 applicants were determined to be likely eligible for coverage through Medi-Cal, the state's version of the Medicaid insurance program for those with lower incomes.

California