Obama makes personal push for open enrollment

WASHINGTON — As concerns increase about higher health insurance premiums on the government exchanges, President Obama on Wednesday urged navigators and others helping with the new open enrollment to persevere to get more people signed up for plans.

"You are changing people’s lives with your work," Obama said on a conference call with Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell.

Obama, who compared the efforts to his challenges as a community organizer before he entered politics, warned that the media won't be writing as much about Affordable Care Act enrollment, so outreach is more important. It's especially needed, he said, to remind consumers of the financial assistance available to make plans more affordable. He cited HHS estimates that 60% of those eligible are unaware they can get premium tax credits.

The task is "going to take every effort" the enrollment aides can muster, he said.

The call was part of a White House effort to again promote the health care law as a new enrollment period begins — and as the law is subject to criticism during the  Republican presidential race and in some state elections Tuesday.

Republican ACA critic Matt Bevin was elected governor in Kentucky, which has distinguished itself with its high insurance and Medicaid enrollment and its well-running state health exchange. In Virginia, Gov. Terry McAuliffe's hopes that Democrats could regain the House and increase the chance of extending Medicaid to the poorest of the poor were dashed.

On Monday, however, Montana became the 30th state to expand Medicaid as part of the Affordable Care Act.

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Obama will continue the sales pitch Thursday with a series of radio interviews.

White House spokesman Josh Earnest said the conference call gave Obama the chance "to talk to individuals and advocates across the country who are doing the important legwork of educating people about the options that are available to them at HealthCare.gov."

Earnest said the "the only way that people are gonna maximize the benefits of this law is if they're educated about the benefits that are available to them."

Earnest declined to specify which radio programs Obama would be speaking with on Thursday.

HHS has been emphasizing the importance of shopping around on the exchanges to get the best coverage for the best price.

On Tuesday, HHS added a search tool that helps people find plans that include their doctors. Already new this year: an out of pocket cost estimator.

Consumers on the federal health exchange for 2016 plans are still able to pick from about five insurance companies — as they were last year —  but there will be fewer plans on average to choose from. About 90% of consumers who return to HealthCare.gov will have plans from three or more insurers to choose from for 2016 coverage, HHS says.

Some areas have become less competitive as non-profit insurance cooperatives have left the market. As of Tuesday, more than half of the 23 such co-ops created under the law have closed or announced plans to shutter.

Are you buying a plan on one of the exchanges? Tell us about it at healthinsurance@usatoday.com