Some states may be "blue" in more ways than one after Obamacare really kicks in next year.
A major deal on the Affordable Care Act could lead to an ironic outcome: more residents in red states than in blue enrolling in Obamacare health insurance exchanges.
That's because the federal government, which is running health exchanges in nearly all the red states, is moving to allow several for-profit online insurance markets to sign up subsidy-eligible people in the exchanges' insurance plans.
(Read more: Landmark Obamacare deal)
But a CNBC.com survey shows that nearly all the 14 states (and District of Columbia) running their own exchanges have rejected partnering with for-profit Web markets to augment their enrollments. Those states, which mostly voted for President Barack Obama, represent about 40 percent of U.S. population, and include New York and California.
"I think Web brokers will assist in facilitating enrollment, hands down, so states who do not partner with Web brokers will, I think, have less enrollment," said Christopher Condeluci, an employee benefits lawyer with the firm of Venable.
Condeluci said he estimates states that run their own insurance exchanges without Web partners could have up to 25 percent fewer people signing up than the federal-run exchanges. Enrollment begins Oct. 1., and coverage starts Jan. 1.
Lower enrollment means "you don't have enough people in the risk pool," which would drive up premiums in future years, Condeluci pointed out. "Rates are just going to be higher."