Administration begins ObamaCare push

The Obama administration on Monday launched its effort to educate consumers about their ObamaCare benefits with a new government website and a toll-free number to answer questions. 

The moves come in preparation for Oct. 1, the date when enrollment begins in ObamaCare’s new state and federally run health insurance exchanges. 

Polls have suggested that the public is largely in the dark about the new marketplaces and the healthcare coverage they offer, posing a challenge to the administration as it enacts President Obama’s signature domestic achievement. 

{mosads}”The new website and toll-free number have a simple mission: to make sure every American who needs health coverage has the information they need to make choices that are right for themselves and their families — or their businesses,” said Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius in a statement. 

The HHS relaunched its HealthCare.gov website in a pared down format that focuses on the Affordable Care Act. 

On the home page, a questionnaire allows individuals and small-business owners to gauge the coverage options available to them under healthcare reform, including the law’s tax subsidies to buy insurance and its Medicaid expansion. 

The site also includes a “Live Chat” for consumer questions. A Spanish-language site with similar capabilities is available at CuidadoDeSalud.gov, and the call centers will offer live assistance in more than 150 languages, according to the HHS. 

Federal health officials will reportedly demonstrate these new efforts in three Florida cities this week. 

The new insurance marketplaces are the centerpiece of the Affordable Care Act and crucial to its mission of providing healthcare coverage to the uninsured. 

After consumers begin enrolling on Oct. 1; the new coverage will kick in on Jan. 1.