For example, in Colorado, 44,035 people have created accounts, but there have been 316,326 unique visitors to the state’s exchange website. In Kentucky, 31,545 have enrolled, but 318,810 people have checked to see if they’re eligible for subsidies or Medicaid. In Vermont, 2,435 have chosen plans, but 107,000 people have visited the website. California has had more than 2.5 million unique visitors, and 227,002 have started applications. …

The exchanges don’t have that much time because budget predictions are based on 7 million people buying insurance in the first year.

At this point, Weil said officials need to be looking at trends: Are people looking to buy? And are people showing continuing interest?

“I think by those two standards, what I hear from the states is a pretty good story,” he said. “The big problem is there’s a rush to judgment. I do think the problem right now is that new programs even under the best of circumstances to take time to mature.”