With less than two weeks before the open enrollment period for 2015 closes, the Administration is reporting that 9.9 million Americans have signed up for ObamaCare coverage. But that number comes with a big asterisk.

Of this 9.9 million, 7.5 million enrolled through the federal exchange and another 2.4 million through state exchanges. While this is higher than the 9.1 million goal the Administration set –though below the 14 million enrollment the Congressional Budget Office predicted – the Administration did not say how many of these people paid their first month’s premiums rather than just added ObamaCare plans to their shopping cart. Payment is true enrollment and as we saw with the first year, more than half a million people lost their coverage because they neglected to pay for their plans or couldn’t provide proof of income or immigration eligibility.

Florida and Texas comprise the bulk of state enrollments. As of January 30, 1.34 million had selected plans in the Sunshine state and 969,461 in the Lone Star State had selected plans.

As we know, the Affordable Care Act is really only “affordable” because of taxpayer largess. About 87 percent of the 7.5 million people enrolled on the federal exchange have qualified for subsidies. And they are at risk of losing their plans if the Supreme Court rules that these subsidies are illegal.

Here’s what we don’t know: We don’t know how many people were simply rolled over from their previous ObamaCare plans versus how many are entirely new customers. We don’t know how many people have actually paid their first month’s premiums. And we don’t have demographic data such as how many young people versus how many older Americans, who usually require more services, have enrolled.

Open enrollment is set to end on February 15. The Administration is pushing strong outreach (from TV ads to press to social media) in advance of this deadline. Like last year, they want to get as many people through the door with the expectation that attrition will erode the initial spike in numbers. Don't be surprised if we see a unilateral extension of the February deadline or some other excuse to make their goals a reality.

Fiscal Times reports:

Health officials are making an aggressive weeklong push to sign up as many people as possible for coverage ahead of next week’s deadline.

“Beginning next Monday we will be fully staffed at our call centers,” CMS acting administrator Andy Slavitt told reporters on a press call Wednesday. He advised people interested in enrolling not to wait until the last minute, as officials are expecting a crush of sign-ups just ahead of the deadline as they experienced last year.

The new numbers come one day after the Republican-controlled House voted for the 60th time to repeal Obamacare.

The GOP’s plans to replace the law rely largely on a potential Supreme Court ruling in the much-anticipated case of King v. Burwell, which the Court will hear in March and decide in June.

If the Court rules against the administration and strikes down federal subsidies for people in the 37 states relying on the federal exchange, some 6 million or more people could lose access to their subsidies—and likely their health coverage.

The Administration will do its best to protect the President’s signature plan by reminding us of how many Americans with ObamaCare plans would lose their coverage if the federal tax subsidies become unavailable. However, they won’t acknowledge that many people have policies because the government will fine them if they don’t or because the government helps them pay. As we’ve reported, those tax penalties will grow increasingly steeper each year. If you didn’t have coverage last year, expect the IRS to hit you with at least a $95 penalty (as much as $12,240 for a wealthy family). This year, that penalty will jump to $325 or 2 percent of income and, and in 2016, the average fine will be about $1,100 per household.

It’s no wonder that Americans are signing up, but these are reasons that we need an asterisk beside the sign-up numbers. In addition to that, we don’t know as much as we need to about the quality of care Americans are receiving with their ObamaCare plans (such as their ability to secure good doctors and medical care especially if they have terminal diseases like cancer).

ObamaCare isn't done deal and this saga continues to unfold.