Fewer Than 50,000 Have Registered Through HealthCare.gov

Ten percent of what administration planned for October

Initial reports suggest that fewer than 50,000 people successfully navigated the troubled federal health-care website to enroll in private health insurance plans as of last week, two people familiar with the matter said Monday.

The early tally falls far short of internal goals set by President Barack Obama's administration in the months leading up to the opening of the HealthCare.gov site Oct. 1, and the low number has worried health insurers that are counting on higher turnout.

Technology problems and design flaws have blocked many users from completing insurance applications or creating accounts to use the site, which serves consumers in the 36 states where the federal government oversees the new health-insurance exchanges.