A lot of numbers have been tossed around in the initial and embarrassing first couple of weeks since the Obamacare exchanges launched. In the coming weeks and months the numbers of those enrolled will surely grow, but the question is what number proves success?

The bar has been set pretty low by conventional wisdom due to the anemic initial numbers, but there is something key to remember when looking at enrollment numbers: how many people are simply replacing their insurance that was cancelled due to provisions in Obamacare?

As the Independent Journal Review notes:

One of the worst of Obama’s statements that has come back to haunt him is, “if you like your healthcare plan, you can keep it!” Two healthcare insurance providers have already cut 460,000 policies in just two states; while Obama and his administration touts a suspicious figure that 500,000 have already enrolled.

Here in Colorado thousands have had their insurance plans cancelled due to Obamacare, but only 226 enrolled in the first week, despite over $21 million spent in taxpayer funds to promote the exchanges in Colorado.

It’s not clear exactly how many people have had their plans cancelled in Colorado as the media hasn’t bothered to chase down that inconvenient number. Humana sent cancellation letters to approximately 8,800 people, but Blue Cross Blue Shield has not released the number of cancellation letters sent.

(Complete Colorado is collecting copies if you’ve received one.)

Once the media figures out how many policies were dropped it will provide an understanding of exactly how many people Obamacare exchanges have to enroll just to break even.

Will it be 10,000? 20,000? 100,000? How many insurance plans have been cancelled?