MSNBC host to interview Obama

President Obama will travel to American University on Thursday for a discussion with MSNBC host Chris Matthews and students from the school.

The interview comes as the White House is ramping up efforts to sell ObamaCare to consumers, an effort stymied by technical problems plaguing the federal healthcare exchange website.

{mosads}The White House is planning a public relations blitz ahead of the Dec. 23 enrollment deadline. Individuals hoping to purchase coverage by Jan. 1 must complete their application for health coverage by that date.

Central to that effort will be convincing young voters to sign up for coverage, and reminding college-aged consumers that under the Affordable Care Act, they can remain on their parents’ health insurance until age 26. Without young, healthy enrollees to balance out expected enrollment by older consumers with preexisting conditions, premiums could jump and government spending on ObamaCare could increase.

A Gallup poll released Monday found that 37 percent of individuals aged 18 to 29 say they are not familiar with the health care law, nearly 10 points higher than the national average. 

In addition to ObamaCare, Matthews plans to discuss voting rights, political dysfunction in Washington, and the decline of confidence in government, according to a statement from MSNBC.

Obama sat with Matthews for a similar college event at West Chester University during the 2008 presidential campaign.