Obama to pitch health law to young activists

President Obama will address a gathering of 18- to 35-year-old activists Wednesday at the White House Youth Summit, the latest in an intensifying push to sell his signature healthcare law.

Obama has placed a particular emphasis on recruiting young, healthy consumers to purchase insurance. Although their participation is crucial to keeping premiums and government costs down, recent polling indicates they are among the least informed about the law.

{mosads}A Gallup poll released Monday found that 37 percent of individuals aged 18 to 29 say they are not familiar with ObamaCare, nearly 10 points higher than the national average. The administration has also said it expects younger enrollees to be among the last to purchase coverage.

The youth summit will draw some 160 youth leaders from across the country, and the White House hopes the president can rally attendees to promote insurance enrollment.

“The summit is an opportunity to explain the benefits of the health law and tools for enrollment to key young influencers who have a strong reach among 18- to 35-year-olds,” a White House official said.

The president’s appearance comes a day before he’ll visit American University for an interview with MSNBC’s Chris Matthews. During that forum, Obama is expected to field questions from college students and promote the Affordable Care Act.

It will also follow an event earlier in the morning at a Washington, D.C., community center, where he’s expected to tout the economic benefits of the legislation.

Separately, administration officials and outside groups will focus attention on the preventive care benefits available to those covered by ObamaCare-compliant insurance plans.

The White House plans to highlight a separate benefit of the healthcare legislation each day before the Dec. 23 deadline to enroll in order to secure insurance by Jan. 1.

“We plan to use a number of different venues to put this message to the public, including press events, digital media pushes, and highlighting the stories of Americans who are being helped by the specific benefits,” White House press secretary Jay Carney told reports on Tuesday.