Anthem Inc. reversed course and said it will offerAffordable Care Act exchange plans in Virginia, after a pullback byanother insurer threatened to leave the state with large gaps in coverage.

Anthem revised its 2018 offerings, saying in a statement that itwould now offer plans in 68 cities and counties in Virginia. Aroundthe United States, insurers face deadlines at the end of this monthto decide whether they will participate in states’ ACA exchangeprograms and what plans they will offer.

Anthem had earlier said it would exit Virginia entirely next year, along withrivals Aetna Inc. and UnitedHealth Group Inc.

Bernard Tyson backs faster waiver approvals, combined withstrong 'guardrails.'

Shares of the insurer were little changed in trading on Friday,and have gained 30 percent so far this year.

Most of the areas where Anthem will now sell coverage would havebeen left without access to any ACA exchange plans after OptimaHealth Plan decided to pare its presence in the state last week.Optima’s change in plans could have left about 70,000 people in 63counties without ACA exchange coverage available to them for nextyear. The insurer later said it would offer plans in five countiesthat otherwise wouldn’t have had options.

Anthem has pulled back from ACA exchange markets in nine statesas uncertainty around the Affordable Care Act grows. The Trumpadministration has cut outreach funding and Republicans in Congressare still weighing efforts to repeal the law despite a separateeffort within their own party to stabilize it.