Aetna: Demand Surging for Individual ObamaCare Plans

With the deadline approaching for individuals to renew healthcare plans purchased on HealthCare.gov for next year, Aetna has begun to see a surge in customers, its new president Karen Rohan said on Thursday during a meeting with analysts and investors.

HealthCare.gov has a Dec. 15 deadline for individuals to renew their 2014 plans or select new ones before it will automatically reenroll them for 2015.

The government has been providing weekly figures on enrollment and on Thursday released data showing that it has receieved plan selections from more than 700,000 individuals through Dec. 5. In 2014, more than 7 million people enrolled in these plans, created as part of the national healthcare reform law.

Rohan, whose appointment was announced earlier this month, said that the company expects a surge over the next couple of days and that it was "starting to see" that surge already. Aetna sells these plans in 17 states.

(Reporting by Caroline Humer)