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The 'Ghosts' And 'Orphans' Of HealthCare.gov

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Ashley Hentze, left, of Lakeland, Fla., gets help signing up for the Affordable Care Act from Kristen Nash, a volunteer with Enroll America, a private, non-profit organization running a grassroots campaign to encourage people to sign up for health care, Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2013 After months of build-up, Florida residents can start shopping for health insurance on government-run online marketplaces as the key component of the Affordable Care Act goes live. (Chris O'Meara/AP)
Ashley Hentze, left, of Lakeland, Fla., gets help signing up for the Affordable Care Act from Kristen Nash, a volunteer with Enroll America, a private, non-profit organization running a grassroots campaign to encourage people to sign up for health care, Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2013 After months of build-up, Florida residents can start shopping for health insurance on government-run online marketplaces as the key component of the Affordable Care Act goes live. (Chris O'Meara/AP)

2.1 million Americans have insurance today after signing up for through the health-care exchanges. More than 1.6 million signed up in December alone.

Then there are those who signed up for a plan, but whose information never was transmitted to insurance companies — the "orphans."

Another group of people — dubbed the "ghosts" — are not on the government's list of people who've chosen a plan, but are nevertheless considered enrolled by the insurers providing the plans.

This means that people who think they have insurance may actually not.

Jay Hancock, senior correspondent for Kaiser Health News, joins Here & Now’s Robin Young to explain the details.

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This segment aired on January 1, 2014.

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