Early sign-ups for health care law are steady, but no surge

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama administration says a little over 1 million people renewed coverage or signed up for the first time through HealthCare.gov around the start of open enrollment.

That enrollment period coincided with a GOP election sweep that’s likely to scramble President Barack Obama’s signature law.

The overall number is comparable to early sign-ups last year. But the share of new customers is down. They accounted for 24 percent of the total so far this year, compared with 34 percent last year.

President-elect Donald Trump and the Republican-led Congress want to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. The law has reduced the nation’s uninsured rate to a historic low, near 9 percent.

The 2017 early sign-up figures are for Nov. 1-12