Ohioans signing up for ACA coverage are older than national average

Although Ohio, like the nation as a whole, has seen a steady uptick in enrollment in insurance plans through the ACA marketplaces in recent weeks, the Ohioans that are signing up are older that the national average, which could impact future health costs and premium rates (Source: “Obamacare enrollment in Ohio presents an age and health challenge, new data show,” Cleveland Plain Dealer, Feb. 12, 2014).

Earlier in the week the Obama administration released new data showing that 3.3 million people nationwide have enrolled in plans through insuance marketplaces.

State-specific data from that report shows that, for example,  21 percent of Ohio's roughly 60,000 enrollees in individual health plans under the Affordable Care Act, or ACA, so far are between ages 18 and 34. That's four percentage points lower than enrollment for that age group nationally. But at the other end of the age spectrum, Ohio has had a larger share of adults ages 55 to 64 signing up  than the national average.