After March 31, open enrollment in private health plans is closed for 2014 and people can only sign up if they experience life changes such as getting married or losing a job. Americans who don’t carry insurance starting April 1 will be liable for tax penalties of as much as 1 percent of their income.

The administration isn’t allowed under the health law to extend the deadline, Michael Hash, the director of the Office of Health Reform at HHS, told reporters. The CBO says it expects the government to collect $2 billion in penalties next year.

The new data on enrollment show that about 943,000 people signed up for private plans in February compared with 1.1 million in January. Administration officials expect a surge of enrollment this month as the deadline approaches, similar to the burst in December, when 1.8 million signed up before an end- of-the-month deadline for coverage starting Jan. 1.

State Leaders

California continues to lead the nation in enrollment, with 869,000 people in private plans. Florida is second with 442,000 -- the most of any state that relies on the federal enrollment system, healthcare.gov.

The administration said 83 percent of those who selected a plan are eligible to receive financial assistance to help pay premiums or other plan costs.

About 25 percent of people who have enrolled are from ages 18 to 34, a key demographic because young adults are generally healthier than older people. Insurers need as many young people on their rolls as possible to balance the cost of caring for older, sicker people and avoid future premium increases.

Before the faltering start of healthcare.gov in October, the administration said it wanted about 40 percent of people enrolling to be younger than 35.

Promotional Push

To that end, the administration is plowing resources into contacting young adults. Valerie Jarrett, a senior adviser to Obama, gave interviews yesterday on three radio programs aimed at young people and the White House hosted an event with entrepreneurs, researchers and graduate students that it called “#GeeksGetCovered.” Obama’s appearance on “Between Two Ferns” drew 6.1 million viewers as of 5 p.m. New York time yesterday at the site that produced it, funnyordie.com.

The show began with trademark rude questions from Galifianakis -- “I have to know, what is it like to be the last black president?” Eventually the two segued to the Affordable Care Act.