Louisiana: 100K QHPs? Again, 3.8x Feb. Rate? The same CMS source? Hmmm...

OK, not only are the numbers here as hard to believe as North Carolina, but the source is the same: Dr. Renard Murray of CMS:

In Louisiana the numbers put the state near the back of the pack.  Dr. Renard Murray with the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare services say there needs to be a late surge in enrollment.

''We've got well over 100,000 who have signed up but well over 800.000 are eligible,'' said Murray.

As of March 1st, HHS only had Louisiana down as having 45,561 exchange QHPs, plus another 9,105 new Medicaid enrollees (again, LA is not an expansion state). Just like with NC, even if the 100K includes both (and he says it's "well over" 100K), assuming an 83/17 split between the two, that would still be an increase of 37,627 QHPs for a total of 83,188...an 83% increase in just the past 3 weeks...at a daily rate 3.8x that of February.

And, just like with North Carolina, if that number doesn't include Medicaid, that would mean a more than doubling of the total through 3/01...at a rate 5.5x that of February.

I really need to get ahold of this Dr. Murray to set this straight. If these numbers are accurate, fantastic...but as Carl Sagan said, "extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence."

Thanks to Stevef101 (via Twitter) for both stories...this is either a hell of a development or two major misunderstandings from different media outlets in different states from the same source...