President Barack Obama asks remaining exchange insurers for help enrolling younger beneficiaries
President says signing up younger and healthier enrollees improves the risk pool.
President Barack Obama on Monday asked leaders of insurance companies participating in the Affordable Care Act for their help in enrolling members in his signature healthcare plan, according to a White House official.
The President also sent a letter to every insurance company offering 2017 coverage.
"And since the remaining uninsured are disproportionately younger and healthier, signing them up improves the risk pool and consequently the affordability of coverage for all enrollees," Obama said in the letter.
The White House is hosting a Millennial Outreach and Engagement Summit at the White House on Tuesday, September 27 focused exclusively on how to enroll more youth in the marketplace during open enrollment, he said.
The president reportedly dropped into a meeting held between the insurers and Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell.
[Also: One-third of states have little to no competition on the Obamacare exchange markets]
Administration officials have met with marketplace health plan leaders each year ahead of open enrollment, which this year starts Nov. 1.
This year the move comes as several insurers, such as UnitedHealth and Aetna, have announced they are leaving the 2017 marketplace due to financial losses.
Executives from Aetna and UnitedHealth did not participate in Monday's meeting.
Insurance executives attending included: Bruce Broussard, president and CEO, Humana; David Cordani, president and CEO, Cigna; Darnell Dent, president and CEO, FirstCare Health Plans; Andrew Dreyfus, president and CEO, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts; Pat Geraghty, chairman and CEO, Florida Blue; Martin Hickey, CEO, New Mexico Health Connections; Dan Hilferty, president and CEO, Independence Blue Cross; David Holmberg, president and CEO, Highmark Health; Dan Loepp, president and CEO, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan; J. Mario Molina, president and CEO, Molina Healthcare; J. Brad Wilson, president and CEO, Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina; Carmella Bocchino, executive vice president, America's Health Insurance Plans; and Scott Serota, president and CEO, Blue Cross Blue Shield Association.
"As we approach the last open enrollment period of my Presidency, I am writing to thank you for the part your organization plays in providing quality, affordable health insurance to millions of Americans through the Health Insurance Marketplace," Obama said in the letter. "We know that this progress has not been without challenges. Most new enterprises have growing pains and opportunities for improvement. The Marketplace, while strong, is no exception."
Burwell has developed a data-driven plan to find and enroll those who still lack coverage, including by stepping up the outreach activities that have worked best over the last three years; working with the Department of the Treasury to reach out to uninsured people who paid the individual responsibility fee for 2015; and increasing the focus on enrolling young adults, the president said.
Obama said that in July, he offered ideas on legislative changes that could also contribute to these goals.
In the letter, Obama said the marketplace has helped contribute to a record low uninsured rate, and marketplace enrollees report high satisfaction, improved access, and a reduced chance of falling into medical debt. Coverage also improves financial security for individuals, lowers uncompensated care for providers, and limits the "hidden tax" of cost-shifting to privately insured people, Obama said.
"We welcome efforts to increase your outreach during this open enrollment period," he said.
Twitter: @SusanJMorse
