ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Startup insurers in the New York health exchange say customer queries have been rising rapidly and they expect enrollment spikes with the new Dec. 23 deadline looming for coverage next year.

The state reported 27,000 more applications completed and approved over the past week, bringing the total to 284,440. About one-third have enrolled in plans, 50,119 with the 16 commercial and nonprofit insurers and 40,984 in Medicaid, the Health Department said.

At startup Oscar Health Insurance, co-founder Kevin Nazemi said hundreds of thousands of people have contacted the insurer's website since the exchange opened Oct. 1 and that volume increases daily. He said the company expects enrollment spikes later this month and at the end of March.

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