Affordable Care Act Sign-Ups Near 6.4 Million

WASHINGTON—Nearly 6.4 million people selected a plan on the federal marketplace or were automatically re-enrolled by Dec. 19 since open enrollment under the Affordable Care Act launched last month, Sylvia Mathews Burwell, the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, said Tuesday.

The sign-ups illustrate that the second enrollment period under the health law, which runs from Nov. 15 through Feb. 15, is off to a strong start that has largely avoided the technology problems that obstructed enrollment last year, Ms. Burwell said in a meeting with reporters. So far nearly 6.4 million people including about 1.9 million new consumers had obtained private health plans on the federal marketplace in 2014 through Dec. 19.

“We still have a ways to go but we are headed in the right direction, the marketplace is stable, people have chosen to shop,” said Ms. Burwell.

Ms. Burwell made her comments in her last briefing of 2014, a year capped off by a mostly successful sign-up on the federal marketplace for obtaining coverage and subsidies to offset premiums. HealthCare.gov, the federal exchange that serves 37 states, has been under marked scrutiny amid mounting efforts by Republicans to repeal or curtail the health law. This fall’s enrollment has been seen as a critical test of the law and the federal website, which has undergone upgrades and seen new leadership after last year’s crippling debut.

Write to Stephanie Armour at stephanie.armour@wsj.com