3.6 million people signed up for ObamaCare plans in one month

More than 3.6 million people have signed up for ObamaCare plans during the first month of open enrollment, according to new numbers released Wednesday by the Trump administration. 

In week five of open enrollment, which spanned from Nov. 26 through Dec. 2, 823,000 people signed up for plans, including 271,200 new customers. 

{mosads}That’s up from week four of enrollment, when 504,000 people signed up and week 3 when just under 800,000 people signed up. 

People are still enrolling for plans at a faster rate than last year. This time last year, 2.9 million people had signed up for plans.  But because open enrollment is only half as long as it was last year, the number of total people who sign up could fall short of previous years. 

Open enrollment ends Dec. 15. 

The strong numbers so far come despite cuts the Trump administration made to ObamaCare’s advertising and outreach budget.

The initial surge has also put the administration, which has long claimed the health-care law is failing, in a difficult spot.

But if the final enrollment numbers are significantly lower than in the past, which many analysts expect, it could bolster the GOP’s argument that ObamaCare is failing and needs to be repealed.