President Barack Obama has a promise for the American people — he will visit the city that signs up the most people for health insurance during the open enrollment season.
In his weekly address, Obama touted the Affordable Care Act and said he wanted “to see how many of your neighbors you can get to sign up.” He also promised to visit one of the 20 cities that are participating in the administration’s “Healthy Communities Challenge.”
“I’ll come visit the city that enrolls the highest percentage of folks who aren’t covered right now. That’s a promise,” he said. “After all, this country’s at its best when we look out for each other.
In the White House’s “Healthy Communities Challenge,” 20 cities with low numbers of insured Americans compete against one another to see which community can sign the most people up for health insurance. Communities leaders are expected “to build outreach efforts” to those who are uninsured with “strong federal, state and community collaboration can having a meaningful impact.”
“The victorious community gets bragging rights, a healthier community, and a visit from President Obama to celebrate their success in helping ensure every American has health coverage,” a White House press release states.
In his weekly address, Obama said Americans like the contentious healthcare law — which he is “no longer just a law” and more than the “myths and scare tactics” from critics.
“This is reality. This is healthcare in America, and the bottom line is, Americans like it,” he said. “They’re happy with their plans, and they’re happy with their premiums.”
According to an aggregate of polling data from Real Clear Politics, 49.5 percent of Americans are against the healthcare law as opposed to the 42.3 percent who are in favor of the law.
“That’s the whole point of health insurance — peace of mind,” Obama said.
The third sign-up season for health insurance is expected to be less than stellar. According to theAssociated Press, proponents of the law may feel as though they are “running to stay in place rather than taking a victory lap.”
