HHS: ObamaCare coverage costing $100 or less for many

The Obama administration is urging people to sign up for ObamaCare coverage by emphasizing the financial discounts available to eligible people on the exchanges.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released data Monday showing that eight in 10 people who have picked a plan on HealthCare.gov had the option of choosing coverage that cost $100 or less per month after tax credits.

{mosads}On average, the subsidies reduced monthly premiums by 72 percent, HHS said.

“Consumers who sign up in states using HealthCare.gov are saving $268 a month on their premiums on average … This is further proof that the Affordable Care Act is working for the middle class,” said HHS Secretary Sylvia Burwell in a statement.

Monday’s report is part of a concerted effort by federal health officials to emphasize the affordability of coverage on the exchanges.

The tax credits available to lower-income people are a major selling point for the administration, which has hesitated to invoke the healthcare law’s individual mandate penalty as a way to get people to sign up.

The administration is focused on raising its sign-up numbers ahead of Feb. 15, the deadline to buy coverage for 2015. A total of 87 percent of people who have enrolled so far were eligible for financial assistance, HHS said.

The department made the point of explicitly stating that its officials are available for radio, television and print interviews, a move that underscores their interest in reaching as wide an audience as possible with their message.

A total of 9.9 million of people had signed up for healthcare plans on the exchanges through Jan. 30, HHS announced Feb. 4. That number is expected to atrophy as people decline to activate their coverage by paying their first premium.

The department is aiming to have 9.1 million participants in the exchanges this year.