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Nearly 300,000 Texans Now Have Health Insurance Through Federal Marketplace

Veronica Zaragovia, KUT News
In February 2014, almost 90,000 people in Texas enrolled in a health care plan through the federal marketplace. Secretary Kathleen Sebelius (pictured) has visited Texas often to promote the Affordable Care Act.

More people in Texas are enrolling in private health insurance through the federal marketplace created by the Affordable Care Act. But hundreds of thousands remain uninsured in the state that leads the nation in the percentage of uninsured.

In Feburary, almost 90,000 people in Texas enrolled in a health care plan through the federal marketplace. That brings the total number of Texans enrolled to close to 300,000 since Oct. 1.

Most of those enrolled are between 55 and 64 years old. Roughly 10 percent are 18 to 25. The system depends on healthy, young people to sign up in order to help defer the costs of covering older people. 

President Obama is trying to convince young people to sign up, appearing on a popular web comedy series called "Between Two Ferns" today. Obamacare supporters are trying to reach out to young people at popular spring break destinations.

Most Texas consumers are buying the silver plan, the second most expensive. Only 1 percent bought a catastrophic plan, which is mostly for people under 30.

The enrollment deadline is March 31. 

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