Sen. Sherrod Brown isn’t just pleading with folks to get covered under Obamacare by Saturday’s deadline — he’s showing them how to do it, too.
Mr. Brown, Ohio Democrat, posted a video of him logging onto the main website, HealthCare.gov, calling up the signup hotline and searching for in-person assistance within his ZIP code, so people back home know how to seek out a health plan.
“So what are you waiting for? Get covered today,” Mr. Brown, a potential presidential contender, tells the camera.
Another 2020 contender, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, tweeted that President Trump wants to kill the Democrats’ health law and “he doesn’t want you to #GetCovered, either.”
“Prove him wrong & sign up for health care before the Dec 15 deadline,” she tweeted, noting the deadline in Massachusetts isn’t until Jan. 23.
Obamacare’s defenders are hoping signups on HealthCare.gov pick up before the weekend deadline in the dozens of states that use the federal website.
The program has struggled to attract the type of young, healthy enrollees needed to make its economic work, and they’re facing additional headwinds from Mr. Trump’s tweaks to the law.
Heading into the final week, enrollment on HealthCare.gov was down nearly 12 percent compared to last year, with roughly 550,000 fewer customers selecting coverage.
The deadline-day rush, plus a batch of “auto-enrollments” from people who don’t actively shop for 2019 coverage, could close the gap, however.
The administration, which doesn’t like former President Barack Obama’s law but is stuck managing it, said HealthCare.gov has been functioning well and that customers who reach the call center may be asked to leave their contact information during the last-minute rush, so they can still sign up after the deadline.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services says anyone who wants an Obamacare plan should be able to find one as seamlessly as possible.
“TOMORROW is the FINAL DAY to shop and enroll in a 2019 Marketplace plan. If you haven’t done so already, get to http://Healthcare.gov and sign up for a plan today!” CMS Administrator Seema Verma said Friday on Twitter.
Obamacare’s staunchest allies — including its namesake — are going the extra mile, mainly through social media videos.
Mr. Obama released a video imploring people to get covered, saying he would no longer “make a fool of myself” with goofy videos about the law, like he did in earlier rounds.
The video closes with some silliness, anyway.
Analysts have a number of theories as to why signups are lagging this year. The economy improved, so would-be enrollees may have job-based coverage instead.
Mr. Trump expanded the availability of cheaper, skimpier plans outside of the exchanges, and he slashed funding for enrollment outreach and in-person assistance.
Also, Virginia just expanded Medicaid, siphoning lower-income enrollees away from their Obamacare market.
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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