New Jersey Obamacare Enrollments Lagging Behind 2014

Final numbers are expected next week, but as of 10 days ago, only about 80,000 people in New Jersey had either purchased or renewed insurance plans on the federally-run health exchange.

That's well behind the 105,000 who enrolled by mid-December last year.

"Considering that in 2014 we saw roughly 50 percent of the enrollment in the last two weeks before the deadline, I think we're in a really solid position to meet or exceed the enrollment of last year," said Jonathan Gold, a spokesman for the federal Health and Human Services Department. "Nationally, there's been unprecedented demand, and we're optimistic about hitting all our goals."

People have until midnight on Dec. 15 to enroll if they want coverage in place for Jan. 1. The enrollment period goes until the end of January 2016. After that, the uninsured will pay tax penalties that start at $695 per person, or 2.5 percent of income and up, depending on household size.

At the start of the enrollment period in November, the Obama administration singled out northern New Jersey as one of a handful of metropolitan areas around the country where it would target enrollment efforts. The Health department increased funding to navigator programs that help people sign up and also opened three storefront centers in Edison, Clifton and Union.