Obama meets with celebs who want to promote Obamacare
(CNN) – President Barack Obama, hoping to pitch his signature health care law to younger Americans, will get some help from a cadre of Hollywood stars who have volunteered to help promote Obamacare's insurance exchanges that open on October 1.
At a meeting at the White House Monday, a group that included singer Jennifer Hudson and actors Kal Penn and Amy Poehler heard Obama extol the benefits his health care law offers young people, whose participation in the exchanges is seen as essential for their long-term viability.
"The President stopped by the meeting to engage artists who expressed an interest in helping to educate the public about the benefits of the health law," a White House official said. "The reach of these national stars spreads beyond the beltway to fans of their television shows, movies, and music – and the power of these artists to speak through social media is especially critical."
The meeting, which was led by Obama's senior adviser Valerie Jarrett, also included representatives for Oprah Winfrey, Alicia Keys, Bon Jovi, YouTube Comedy, Funny or Die and the organizations that put on the annual Grammy and Latin Grammy awards.
"President Obama underscored that the efforts of these artists will be especially helpful since young uninsured Americans (ages 18-35) are key enrollment targets for the new marketplaces," the official said.
Persuading young Americans to enroll on Obamacare's exchanges is considered a key challenge for the law's backers – without enough healthy people enrolled, premium costs for those who do participate will rise.
The White House has said that 2.7 million young and healthy adults must enroll on the exchanges in order for premium costs to remain low for older Americans who take advantage of the new system.
The group of celebrities at the White House Monday will join a larger effort designed to sell Obamacare to uninsured Americans. In June, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said the NFL and a "variety of sports affiliates" had been "very actively and enthusiastically engaged" with the administration over the idea of helping to promote the Affordable Care Act, though the NFL later said they had no plans to work with the Obama administration on the effort.
Three years after becoming law, the Affordable Care Act still faces opposition from Republicans, who last week made an attempt at postponing parts of the law in Congress. The Democrat-led Senate was not expected to take up the measures.
Classic. Let's have a bunch of 1%ers tell us how great this law is that will have zero effect on them because they are 1%ers.
Matthew, I believe you meant to write "the voluntary actions taken by both a man and a woman," right?
Meeting with the little people, as usual I see.
@tom l,
And conservative 1%er celebrity personalities say Obamacare is bad, even though they, too, will never need it. Your point?
Here's MY point: Amy looks nice in that photo.
Hey when it comes down to it the young pay for the elderly. Do they even know they voted to give hundreds of dollars away each month? Not in their best interest to say the least.
This a show desperation on Obama`s part. By doing this he`s basically saying this a crap law so I need celebs to help me fool dumb americans. Please don`t be dummy vote the democraps out of office.
tom l. either you stop using your pet phrase 'ad hominem attack' or you look up it's definition.
You're coming across as a paranoid simpleton.
Now THAT is an 'ad hominem attack'.
What a great idea. Honorable people who younger people will listen to. We all gain when communities are healthy.
why must you advertise something thats suppose to be so good ??? i guess because most people dont want govt run healthcare
i dont want anything this sorry president has to offer
I wonder how many of those celebrities are going to sign up for it.
Noblesse oblige! People who can afford to be self-insured chumming the collectivist waters for the below-the-line. Thanks for the list, CNN! Now I know who to boycott! Starting with that very special episode of Parks & Rec.
I really don't get the republican opposition...other than to just hate anything and everything the President does. This is supposed to be the party of personal responsibility. Young people always think they are immortal, and even if they can afford it they dont get insurance...so they end up showing up in the emergency room which means everyone else helps pay for it. THAT'S socialism, not Obamacare. The mandate was a Republican idea don't forget...until the President embraced it as part of his plan, then suddenly they all hated it. Also, they're the part of hating government waste...yet they do dozens of symbolic votes to repeal the law. These symbolic votes cost money, millions of dollars in fact. Silly
The ME ME ME generation doesn't even know what they've done to themselves. Ha ha ha
Personally, I'm not influenced by what a celebrity thinks or does but I am glad they're out there bringing home the importance of healthcare to those who would not otherwise care.
I'm sure these actors are experts in the field of medicine or economics... At least they can play one on TV...
It's a good strategy........if you want to communicate with the younger generation, you need to do it through celebrities they look up to. They sure won't listen to a politician telling them anything. And yeah.......Amy looks pretty hot in the pic.
And Hurray for that judge who blocked the law of pro-life zealots who oppose not just all abortions but also all forms of contraception. Their motivation is less than pure. Liberated womanhood is their worst nightmare. I hope those of them who are male will be women in their next incarnations.
OMG! American's healthcare is now in the hands of Hollywood AND the IRS??? What kind of a president is this? I know the answer.....
these celebrities volunteered to help promote the affordable health care act.
Great idea. Although that won't fix the ignorance and lies of the few. Oh well... lol We will be healthier regardless.
#ObamacareWORKS
Cool. Celebrities always know whats best for this country. Thats why they are celebrities, right? This Obamacare thing is gonna work out great!
jobs, Jobs, JOBS!!! ... are my highest priority.
Time to bring out every republican with no knowledge, but all to say. They can put a stop to something good, if no one else can.