The New York State Department of Health issued a press release today stating that over 40,000 New Yorkers have signed up for low-cost health insurance through the NY State of Health insurance marketplace – more than any other state reporting this far!

The state is also reporting that the state call center has helped more than 26,000 callers.

Now, bear in mind that it has only been one week since the marketplace opened.  No wonder the website was experiencing hiccups! Now, I knew that there were roughly 2.6 million uninsured people in New York.  But, I did not know that they would all try to sign up for coverage in the first week!  Also, its important to note that while 40,000 people have been able to complete the application process, countless more will have logged on just to browse or see what  the exchange is offering before choosing to complete the process.

At any rate, it appears that the enrollment website is now operating normally, so kudos to the state’s IT team.  And wow – way to come out of the starting gate with a bang!