Congressional agency reduces health law sign-up predictions

The Congressional Budget Office study said that 13 million people are likely to purchase policies through the Affordable Care Act this year, down about 8 million from estimates the agency made early last year.

The Department of Health and Human Services had already flagged the lowered expectations last fall, predicting just 10 million customers signed up and paying premiums through online insurance markets by the end of 2016.

At issue is enrollment in the law's health insurance markets, or exchanges, which offer subsidized private coverage.

The 2010 health care law offers subsidized private plans to people who don't have access to job-based coverage, as well as an expanded version of Medicaid geared to low-income adults in states accepting it.