Obama enlists young people in O-Care pitch

President Obama continued to sell his signature healthcare law to young people at a White House event on Wednesday. 

“This law is already making a difference for millions of young people,” Obama said. “I’m going to need you all to spread the word about how the Affordable Care Act really works, what its benefits are, what its protections are and, most importantly, how people can sign up.”

Uninsured young people are the one demographic the Obama administration wanted to target with the healthcare law. Most young people who lack insurance, Obama said, could sign up for a plan that costs less than $100 per month. 

{mosads}The event comes as the White House cleans up its messy implementation and ramps up efforts to tout the law’s benefits in the next few weeks before the Dec. 23 enrollment deadline for coverage that starts Jan. 1.

Obama acknowledged HealthCare.gov wasn’t in “tip-top shape … to say the least,” when it launched.

His administration, however, is working on refining it, he said. “We’re not repealing it, not as long as I’m president,” Obama reiterated.

Obama told the young audience he hoped they weren’t discouraged by how difficult the launch has been. He warned, though, “stuff that’s worth it is always hard,” listing the civil rights movement, women’s right to vote, and workers gaining the right to organize. 

“Don’t get discouraged; be persistent. You may get a few gray hairs as a consequence, but at the end of the day, I think it’s worth it.”

Harvard University’s Institute of Politics released a poll Wednesday indicating a majority of young people disapproves of the law. Less than a third of 18-to-29-year-olds say they’re likely to sign up for ObamaCare.