At crunch time for health sign-ups, hold times are growing

President Donald Trump's administration says it is trying to accommodate consumers as hold times grow for those seeking to enroll in insurance under the federal health care law.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said Thursday that some callers to HealthCare.gov are being asked to leave their contact information. A spokeswoman says operators will call them back and they'll be able to get coverage effective Jan. 1.

Sign-up season is half as long this year, but consumer interest has been strong. As of Dec. 9, about 4.7 million people had enrolled in the 39 states served by HealthCare.gov. That's roughly 17 percent more customers than at the same time last year.

Friday at midnight Pacific time is the deadline to enroll in most states.