Officials with Idaho's health insurance exchange, Your Health Idaho, say 83,383 people enrolled for insurance between November 15-December 31. That number includes people who were already enrolled and renewed their coverage, as well as new insurance customers.
Your Health Idaho Executive Director Pat Kelly says the number of people signing on has had its ups and downs in the last two months, but he's pleased overall.
"Over the holidays the volumes did decline as we expected and we expect the volumes to pick up as we near the deadlines for both January and February," says Kelly.
Most of these people signed up using the new state-run website, which Kelly says has run smoother than the federal website's initial launch last year.
The health insurance exchange is a key component of the Affordable Care Act.
Tuesday's data reflect some new success when it comes to getting Idaho millennials on board: 27.5 percent of those on the health exchange are between the ages of 18-34. Kelly says that is a result of outreach to young people, a group he refers to as "young invincibles."
"It's also part of us being able to reach the entire market and being targeted in that messaging," he says. "This number -- we're really happy with it and I think it speaks to the sustainability of our exchange -- being able to reach a broad population with our products."
Your Health Idaho has been targeting young people to sign up for insurance with commercials like this one.
The data also show women are more likely to purchase health insurance on the exchange -- 55 percent of the marketplace's insurance shoppers were female.
Kelly says they aren't able to parse out how many of those enrolled in the last two months are new compared to renewing. He says that data will be available sometime after open enrollment ends February 15.
Find reporter Frankie Barnhill on Twitter @FABarnhill
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