The new year has already ushered in another milestone for thePatient Protection and Affordable CareAct.

Despite the passage this week of a bill repealing most of thelandmark health law, Americans continue to sign up for healthinsurance through Healthcare.gov and websites run by the 13 states(and the District of Columbia) that set up their own insuranceexchanges.

The Department of Health and Human Services announced Thursdaythat over 11.3 million people are now enrolled in exchange plans.

Three-quarters, or 8.6 million, are enrolled in plans throughthe Healthcare.gov marketplace administered by the federalgovernment.

Another 2.7 million are enrolled in plans through state-runmarketplaces.

Read: Brokers and agents: Don't feel left out byPPACA

In a statement, Secretary of Health and Human Services SylviaBurwell framed the enrollment as evidence that the PPACA system wasstrengthening by attracting healthier enrollees who will hopefullydefray the costs of the older, sicker members that insurers haveinsurers say have made it tough for them to turn a profit on theexchanges.

“We’re seeing unprecedented demand for Marketplace coverage withmore than 11.3 million people signed up for coverage,” she said ina department press release. “We’re encouraged that Marketplaceconsumers are increasingly young, engaged and shopping for the bestplan. We have more work to do before the next deadlines and ourfocus continues to be the consumer experience and educatingconsumers about available financial assistance and theirchoices.”

According to the data, 4 million of the enrollees are under35.

An administrator for the Centers for Medicare and MedicaidServices told the Washington Post that people in that age rangerepresent 41 percent of new enrollees, up from 38 percent lastyear.

Not a dramatic difference, perhaps, but hopefully a marginaldifference that can help shore up the finances of insurersstruggling to cover the claims of older enrollees.