White House touts ObamaCare contest in tough sign-up period

The White House is touting an ObamaCare sign-up challenge for cities as a central feature of its efforts to boost enrollment.

The contest, called the “Health Communities Challenge,” includes 20 cities across the country that will compete to sign up the highest percentage of their eligible uninsured residents. The winner gets a visit from President Obama. 

{mosads}Kristie Canegallo, White House deputy chief of staff for implementation, said on a phone call with reporters Monday that the administration will talk about the challenge often during its push to sign people up for health insurance.

She echoed other officials who have said the latest sign-up period, which began Nov. 1, is the toughest yet, because the people easiest to reach have already enrolled. 

“We know we’ll need to work harder and smarter this year to reach people who haven’t signed up yet, and we know we can’t do this alone,” Canegallo said. 

Officials noted that two California cities, Long Beach and Oakland, have already branched off to hold their own competition. 

“There’s nothing mayors love more than a throw-down,” Tampa, Fla., Mayor Bob Buckhorn said on the call. 

Several nonprofit health insurers set up under the law have collapsed, underscoring the challenge facing cities. 

Officials said they take the recent closures “seriously” but that consumers should still come to the marketplace, where they can find an average of five insurers to choose from. 

In the face of concerns about growing premium increases in some places, the administration is noting that the average increase for a Silver plan, which is used as a benchmark to calculate financial help, is rising by an average of 7.5 percent. 

There is also uncertainty in Kentucky, where Gov.-elect Matt Bevin (R) has pledged to dismantle the state’s ObamaCare marketplace, known as Kynect, leaving it up to the federal government to run. 

Jerry Abramson, White House director of intergovernmental affairs, said Kentucky has been getting many calls from people wondering if they should still sign up, but emphasized that the state exchange will be around for the next year no matter what. 

“No matter what the governor does, this full year ahead is part of the Kynect experience,” Abramson said.