To put this number in context, before the exchanges opened, HHS had been projecting 3.3 million people would enroll by the end of December and about 1.1 million people would enroll this month, bringing the total to 4.4 million by the end of January.

So, this means that January could be the first month in which monthly signups roughly align — or perhaps even beat — expectations. Originally, the exchanges were supposed to enroll 7 million Americans through March.

But there’s also an important caveat. HHS still hasn’t disclosed how many of those who have selected a plan through the health care law have actually paid for it, which is how insurers typically define enrollment.