Connect for Health Colorado, the state’s government-sponsored marketplace for private health insurance coverage, reported last week that 153,000 Coloradans had selected insurance plans for 2020.

“I am encouraged by the pace of sign-ups so far,” said Connect for Health Colorado’s CEO Kevin Patterson, who added that the numbers constitute “strong enrollments.”

More than two-thirds of applicants qualified for financial subsidies to lower their premiums. The state exchange has its origin in the 2010 Affordable Care Act, and the first year it began enrolling policyholders was 2014.

That year, 127,000 people signed up through the exchange’s open enrollment. Arapahoe and Denver counties saw the highest enrollments, each contributing to 12.9% of the statewide total.

For 2019 enrollment, Connect for Health Colorado reported that the average tax credit for people receiving financial subsidies was $661, up from $641 in 2018. Consequently, the average monthly premium was $117 after assistance.

More than three-quarters of enrollments in 2019 were from people who previously participated in the exchange. The 10 counties with the highest growth in enrollment from 2018 to 2019 were all rural, although Denver and Jefferson counties had the most and second-most enrollments, respectively.

Open enrollment for 2020 will continue through Jan. 15.