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Surge in Sign Ups for Health Coverage in Delaware

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DOVER, Del. (AP) - Delaware officials say enrollment in the state's new health insurance exchange increased by almost 60 percent in the past month.

Officials told the Delaware Health Care Commission on Thursday that 5,062 people had enrolled in the state's exchange under the federal Affordable Care Act as of Jan. 31. That's up from 3,183 enrollments reported last month.

But officials last month said only 1,145 people who had enrolled had paid their first premiums, a measure they had previously used when reporting official enrollment numbers. It was not immediately clear how many of the newest enrollees have actually paid for coverage, as opposed to simply choosing a plan.

Officials have hoped to enroll 35,000 uninsured Delawareans in private insurance plans under the exchange. Open enrollment for coverage this year ends March 31.

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.