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ACA Enrollment Numbers in Delaware

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DOVER, Del. (AP) - Delaware officials say 1,145 people have enrolled in the state's new health insurance exchange and paid their first premiums under the federal health care reform law.

Officials on Thursday also reported that 5,732 Delawareans have been identified as potentially newly eligible for Medicaid coverage, including expanded coverage that is part of the Affordable Care Act.

State officials have said they hope to enroll 35,000 Delawareans for private insurance under the exchange, but the number of paid enrollments as of early January is less than 3.5 percent the target goal.

Officials plan to target outreach efforts to younger Delawareans, whose participation and premiums are critical for the financial viability of the health care reform effort.

Currently, people aged 21 to 30 account for only 13 percent of enrollees in the exchange.

Don Rush is the News Director at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.