• By
  • Jared A. Favole
Former U.S. President Bill Clinton (C), accompanied by his daughter Chelsea (L), visits the Ramotsa Clinic in Hammanskraal, near Pretoria, Aug. 7, 2013.



The use of Mr. Clinton, who is still popular and known for his ability to explain complex issues, shows the administration is trying everything it can to get the public to understand the Affordable Care Act.  During the 2012 presidential campaign, Mr. Clinton mocked the Republican party’s budget “arithmetic” during a speech at the Democratic National Convention.

A poll released Wednesday by the Kaiser Family Foundation said 51% of Americans say they don’t understand how the health-care law will affect them or their family.

A White House official said Mr. Clinton’s speech won’t be his only attempt to raise awareness about the law, and said the administration will be sending out its officials and allies throughout the fall to help sell the law to the public.

Dan Pfeiffer, a senior adviser to Mr. Obama, lauded Mr. Clinton’s role in explaining the health law. “Excited to have President @BillClinton, once dubbed Secretary of Explaining Stuff, talk about the health reform law on 9/4 in Little Rock,” Mr. Pfeiffer said from his Twitter account.

Mr. Obama and other administration officials have already taken steps to sell the benefits of the law, including in speeches and public-awareness campaigns. The Obama administration has also tapped celebrities such as Amy Poehler and Jennifer Hudson, African-American ministers, and other key allies such as Planned Parenthood clinics to get the word out about the law.
The administration needs to get people—particularly those who are healthy—to sign up for the insurance exchanges once they open on Oct 1.


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