White House ignores Trump win in latest ObamaCare sign-up push

by Sarah Ferris - 11/14/16 9:54 AM ET

The Obama administration is publicly ignoring the outcome of last week’s election as it presses ahead with this year’s open enrollment for the president’s signature healthcare law.

At a White House event on Monday, Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell mentioned the election just once in her 20-minute address about ObamaCare signups.

“I know that this last week has been tough, but the Affordable Care Act is the law of the land,” Burwell said to a roomful of on-the-ground healthcare advocates.

{mosads}“The American people don’t want to go back. They want Republicans and Democrats to come together and make the law better,” Burwell said at the event formally kicking off ObamaCare’s sign-up season.

The Obama administration launched its open enrollment outreach campaign last Wednesday, one day after Donald Trump won the presidential election.

So far, White House health officials have largely ignored Trump’s victory, which is seen as dooming the healthcare law’s fate. The incoming president has vowed to repeal ObamaCare as soon as he takes office — a move Republicans in Congress have said they’re committed to as well.

Burwell’s remarks largely mirrored the speeches on ObamaCare that she has given at any other point in her tenure. She repeatedly touted ObamaCare’s benefits that affect all health plans, such as preventative care, the cap on annual limits and the “core benefits” for all insurance plans.

Parts of her remarks were lighthearted, however. She joked about President Obama’s two dogs and about learning a dance called “the dab” as she promotes the law with professional athletes.

But she also struck a serious tone, without mentioning Trump or the election.

“The Affordable Care Act is now woven into the fabric of our nation and a strong open enrollment this year will just make that more true,” Burwell said.

She urged the healthcare advocates in the room to keep working to sign up people for coverage through HealthCare.gov and the state-run marketplaces. The Obama administration is hoping to sign up 1 million more people this year. She also highlighted the recent surge in signups, starting the day after Trump was elected president.

More than 100,000 people selected plans through HealthCare.gov last Wednesday, Burwell announced on Twitter then.

Tags Donald Trump