NC fifth nationally in enrollment under health law

The 107,778 enrollees places North Carolina fifth nationally for the number of people seeking health insurance under the Affordable Care Act, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said. California led the way, followed by Florida, New York and Texas.

California and New York operate their own online exchanges, while North Carolina, Florida and Texas offer health plans through the federal HealthCare.gov site.

Nationwide, 2,153,421 people have enrolled in coverage so far – six times higher than 364,682 who had signed up by the end of November but still a far cry from the 7 million people the Obama administration wants signed up by March 31.

"Americans are finding quality affordable coverage in the marketplace, and best of all, because coverage began on New Year’s Day, the promise and hope of the Affordable Care Act is now a reality,” Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius said in a statement. “Our outreach efforts have ramped up, so whether it’s through public service announcements, events, our champions or other means, we are doing all we can to find, inform and enroll those who can benefit from the marketplace."

Of the nearly 2.2 million enrollees, 54 percent are women and 46 percent are men; 24 percent are ages 18 to 34; and 79 percent qualified for federal subsidies to lower their monthly premiums.

In North Carolina, the numbers were similar: 57 percent are women and 43 percent are men; 23 percent are ages 18 to 34; and 89 percent qualified for subsidies.