Nearly 40,000 Ohio residents have successfully picked health insurance plans through the new online marketplace created by President Barack Obama's law.
A report released Monday by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services details enrollment numbers from Oct. 1 through Dec. 28.
Ohio is among the 36 states relying on the federal website, HealthCare.gov. Monday's figures show a significant spike in sign-ups compared with October, when the troubled website wasn't working properly. Just 1,150 Ohioans had managed to select a plan then, compared with 34,283 last month.
Most Ohioans obtaining coverage are older. The department says 41 percent of those with plans are between ages 55 and 64. Eighty-one percent are getting financial help to pay their monthly premiums. At 56 percent, more women have selected plans than men.
