How many will actually pay their premiums?

As expected, the Obama administration magically produced the 7.1 million signups of Obamacare - not 6.95 million or 7.15 million but just enough to exceed the 7 million target (that HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius predicted during a taped interview but then denied ever saying when the number was in jeopardy).

Also as expected, the administration did not provide the number of actual paying customers which could be 4 million, 5 million, 6 million - no one knows. Nor did they provide the number of annual Medicaid customers who are part of that 7.1 million and pay nothing to support Obamacare.

Nor did they provide the number of young subscribers who bear the brunt of the cost for Obamacare. Nor did they provide the number of sign-ups from the 6 million people who were canceled from their existing policy, i.e., "if you like your existing insurance, you can keep your existing insurance ... period."

Lets do some hypothetical math. Lets say 6 million actually signed up, and conservatively 3 million are from the 6 million cancellation group and throw in a million Medicaid re-ups. That would leave a paltry 2 million from the target 40 million uninsured people. Use whatever numbers you want but good luck coming up with any positive news about Obamacare.

It is clear that a political agenda trumps honesty in this administration. You may not agree with my deductions, but the real proof in the pudding will be when the government doles out billions of dollars to compensate the insurance companies to offset their losses. This is your money folks. Pay attention.

Bill Koller

Des Plaines