HARRISBURG — Gov. Tom Wolf’s administration said Tuesday it has formally applied to take over the operation of Pennsylvania’s health insurance marketplace as the Democrat seeks a bulwark against the potential loss of health insurance subsidies for hundreds of thousands of state residents.

Wolf’s Department of Insurance submitted the application to the federal government on Monday, the deadline if Pennsylvania is to move to a state-based marketplace in 2016.

A U.S. Health and Human Services Department spokesman could not immediately say whether Pennsylvania was the first or only state to take such a step ahead of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling on President Barack Obama’s health care law that is due in a few weeks.

Wolf has said that he would explore this avenue for 2016 in case the court rules that subsidies cannot be continued next year in exchanges run by the federal government, like Pennsylvania’s. However, approval from the Republican-controlled Legislature would be required for any money needed to run an exchange and potentially for the legal authority, legislative officials have said.

In its application, the administration said it is working with lawmakers in 2016 budget legislation to give the marketplace the authority to generate and spend revenue.

On Monday, Wolf’s acting insurance commissioner, Teresa Miller, said there are a lot of other reasons for Pennsylvania to run its own marketplace, including the ability to regulate the insurance plans, direct consumer outreach and run the call center.

“Right now, the federal exchange that’s operating, it’s a one-size-fits-all, and it’s the same in every state,” Miller said. “I’d rather do something that’s more tailored to Pennsylvania.”