What's with the newest Fox News line about only 50,000 signing up for the ACA?

[Tommy_Carcetti]

I walked into my right wing MIL's house yesterday and I saw that Fox was trumpeting it from the rafters. Then I saw it being repeated by several right wing friends on Facebook.


Clearly there's some major league spinning from the right going on here, but can anyone clue me into what it is?

[geek tragedy]

1. That's for people who actually paid money for insurance that won't take effect

until January 1.

[rudolph the red]

2. I think it originated with a Wall Street Journal story

http://nation.time.com/2013/11/12/obamacare-website-less-than-50000-have-enrolled/

[JaneyVee]

3. 500,000+ enrolled in Medicaid.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

4. Probably this number - if it's even accurate - does not include state exchanges.

In Minnesota alone, about 11,000 have already signed up and they expect many more before the deadline (the website works). Right there that's more than 20% of that 50,000, and it's unlikely that a relatively low-population state like MN could account for 20% of the national total.

Or, it's possible they are citing this: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-11-11/state-run-obamacare-exchanges-report-49-100-enrollees.html According to this article, not quite 50,000 have signed up in just 12 of the state exchanges. These do not include California (which will be a huge number), Massachusetts or Oregon, or those enrolled through the federal website (which covers 36 states).

In any event, I think it's safe to conclude that 50,000 does not accurately represent anywhere near the total number.

[MnAttorney]

5. Kentucky alone

Has signed up about 45k

[zbdent]

6. Faux won a court ruling

which allows them to lie. They now have the court's blessing.