Obama goes to bat

Obama goes to bat for health law on first day of sign-ups

By RACHANA PRADHAN

Former President Barack Obama sought to boost his namesake health law Wednesday by appearing in a video urging people to sign up for coverage on the first day of the 2018 enrollment season.

Obama’s call comes as the Trump administration has taken numerous actions to undermine the law while doing almost nothing to publicize the start of the six-week enrollment season that wraps up on Dec. 15.

“HealthCare.gov is open for business right now,” the former president said in the video released by Get America Covered, an advocacy organization run by former Obama health officials. “You can shop for a health insurance plan that's right for you and your family. It only takes a few minutes, and the vast majority of people qualify for financial assistance.”

Obama has made few public statements about the Affordable Care Act since leaving office, even as Republicans have repeatedly tried to undo his signature domestic achievement.

Confusion has clouded the 2018 enrollment season as President Donald Trump and many Republicans continue to insist they will dismantle the law despite the collapse of their earlier efforts. Other actions from the White House and HHS — including chopping the budget for Obamacare ads by 90 percent and cutting grants to enrollment groups by 40 percent — are expected to result in enrollment declines next year.

Noise surrounding the GOP’s repeal attempts have also sowed vast confusion about the law’s status, recent polls show.