SEATTLE — Washington is among the top 10 states for enrolling people in health insurance since the Affordable Care Act took effect in October, but has yet to meet its enrollment targets, according to new data released Wednesday by the federal government.
The states that have convinced more people to buy insurance through a state-run exchange or the federal marketplace are — California, Colorado, Michigan, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Texas.
Between Oct. 1, 2013, and Feb. 1, Washington enrolled nearly 90,000 people in private insurance through its new exchange. Nearly 80 percent of them are getting a discount on their insurance because of their income level. Another 85,000 people have signed up for private insurance but still need to pay their first premium.
By Dec. 31, Washington was supposed to have signed up nearly 160,000 people for private insurance through its exchange, according to federal enrollment targets. By the end of January, that goal rose to 210,800.
Open enrollment for the new health insurance program goes through the end of March.
