House Republicans just put out a new report on the Affordable Care Act. You should take is as seriously as you take all reports from House Republicans these days.

In other words, you shouldn't take it seriously.

The subject of the report is enrollment in private health insurance through Obamacare. The Administration has reported that more than 8 million people have signed up for such plans, usually by using healthcare.gov or one of the similar online marketplaces that several states are running. Charles Gaba, the Michigan-based blogger and unofficial enrollment tracker, says the number is now up to 8.14 million. But not everybody who picks a plan actually pays the premium, which means that not everybody in that 8.14 million actually has insurance.

It's a relevant fact. But, to some Obamacare critics, it's become an obsession—proof, they say, that the law isn't reaching its goals. Wednesday's report, from Republican staff on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, would seem to validate that claim. According to the report, just 67 percent of people have paid their first month premiums. If that holds true for all signups, that would mean only about 5.45 million people really have insurance—less than even more pessimistic projections, although still a significant number by any reasonable standard.

But wait! With House Republican committee reports, you always have to read the details. And in this case the details say quite a lot. The committee staff got their information directly from insurers, but it’s only valid up through April 15. As experts quickly pointed out, that’s too early to get an accurate sense of the payup rate.