Young adults were a rising portion of those who signed up for coverage in January, accounting for 27 percent of enrollees compared to 24 percent in the previous three months, in the latest report on insurance exchange enrollment.
Nearly 3.3 million people have signed up for private health insurance through the federal and state marketplaces from October until Feb. 1, federal health officials said Wednesday in the report and on a conference call with reporters.
But the growth of overall sign-ups in January tamped down somewhat. Breaking it out, about 1.1 million individuals signed up in January, dampening more than one third from the 1.8 million spike in demand in December after technical problems were fixed on Healthcare.gov and some state exchange portals.
Still, the 3.3 million total enrollment as of the end of January was 50 percent more than the 2.2 million by the end of December. About 1.9 million have enrolled through Healthcare.gov and 1.4 million through state exchanges.
Young adult enrollment outpaced all other age groups combined, growing 65 percent in January, said Health and Human Service Secretary Kathleen Sebelius.
"The covered population is getting younger," she said on the call. "We're seeing a growing population who are young, healthy and well-covered, and they are signing up in greater proportion."
After four months of enrollment, young adults account for 25 percent of the total, inching up from 24 percent previously. Utah and Massachusetts have the highest rate of aged 18-34 enrollment, at 31 percent.
Demand for health coverage continues at what officials said they generally expected and in line with the Massachusetts experience, with an anticipated rush closer to the March 31 deadline.
Despite the rising number of young adults, the majority still skew towards older enrollees, who are more likely to be unhealthy.
"The latest data show that exchange enrollment continues to rebound following early technological problems, although progress is uneven across states," said Caroline Pearson, vice president at Avalere, in a statement about the report. "The question remains if the final enrollment surge at the end of March will make up the ground lost in October and November."
The latest report included for the first time information on the type of metal plans – Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum – distributed across demographic factors. For example, 81 percent of young adults aged 18 to 34 have selected a plan at the Silver level or higher. A significant majority, or 82 percent, who have selected a plan are eligible for tax credits and financial assistance, up from 79 percent through December.