The damage control continues....but is it too late? During an interview with NBC News today at the White House, President Obama apologized to Americans who have lost their health insurance, despite numerous promises they could keep insurance they liked under Obamacare.
"I am sorry that they are finding themselves in this situation based on assurances they got from me," he told NBC News in an exclusive interview at the White House.
"We've got to work hard to make sure that they know we hear them and we are going to do everything we can to deal with folks who find themselves in a tough position as a consequence of this. "
Obama's apology comes after adding a grandfathering caveat to his healthcare pitch during a speech to Obama for America supporters in Washington D.C. last week.
“If you had or have one of these plans before the Affordable Care Act came into law,” the president said, “and you really like that plan, what we said was, you could keep it… if it hasn’t changed since the law’s passed.”
The administration has been denying for nearly two weeks that President Obama lied or misled millions of people about keeping their health insurance plans. NBC News and other major news outlets reported last week the White House knew for years cancellation letters would be issued and told Americans they could keep their plans anyway.
Millions of Americans are getting their health insurance canceled under the Affordable Care Act and the Obama administration has known for about three years that this would happen, NBC News is reporting.
About 50% to 75% of 14 million consumers who buy health insurance individually will receive a "cancellation" letter or its equivalent in the next year because their current policies don't meet the standards laid out by the new law, the news organization reports, citing four sources deeply involved in ACA.
Democratic Senators on Capitol Hill are scrambling to pass legislation that will allow millions of Americans who have received cancellation notices to get their healthcare plans back. It is unclear if President Obama is willing to support that effort.
Sixty-seven percent of Americans in the individual health insurance market are expected to lose their current health plans as insurance companies comply with Obamacare requirements under the law.
UPDATE: Video added.
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