Nearly 9M sign up for coverage under the Affordable Care Act

The government said about 8.8 million people signed up for coverage next year under the Affordable Care Act. A deadline surge last week may account for the surprisingly strong numbers.

Thursday’s update came from Seema Verma, head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

Wednesday, President Trump proclaimed that a GOP tax cut bill “essentially repealed Obamacare.” The bill repealed only the health law’s fines on people who don’t carry health insurance, starting in 2019.