Desperation.
Via Politico:
Mother’s Day is coming early to the White House this year, at least where Obamacare sign-up is concerned.
Open enrollment ends March 31, and President Barack Obama, first lady Michelle Obama and top administration officials all have events this week that aim to reach America’s moms, who typically drive health care decisions for their families — including the young adult children who are a key demographic for the new insurance exchanges.
“Moms have a huge influence on their kids and families and are a key demographic for the ongoing effort to make sure Americans know the benefits they can access through the health law,” a White House official said. The idea is to leverage that mom voice to spread the word about the health law and the limited time remaining to enroll.
The pace of enrollment has picked up this winter as HealthCare.gov improved. More than 4 million people have chosen plans, although not all have begun paying their premiums. But the White House and its allies have a lot of work to do to hit the 6 million enrollment target by the end of the month. That mark was revised from 7 million after the website’s botched launch dampened sign-ups in the fall.
Michelle Obama — the first mom — usually is in the spotlight for her Let’s Move! and nutrition campaigns, but as the Affordable Care clock ticks, she’s also been reaching out to mom-oriented audiences. On Tuesday, she will join several groups focused on enrolling women in the health law to thank their volunteers and outreach workers, some of whom have been going door to door in communities with high uninsured rates. The White House estimates that groups represented on the first lady’s call have collectively knocked on more than a million doors.