Biden, Hillary Clinton Promote Health Law

The vice president's office will reach out to groups this week. Clinton, on a visit to Florida, offered a defense of the law, but said she was open to changes that could help small business owners.

The Associated Press: Biden Stepping Up Role In Promoting Health Law
Vice President Joe Biden is stepping up his role in promoting enrollment in new health care exchanges as the end of the open-enrollment period nears. The vice president’s office says Biden will hold a number of conference calls this week to reach out to groups that are spreading the word about the health care law (2/26).

CNN: Clinton Endorses Looking At Obamacare Fixes, But Defends Law
Hillary Clinton backed efforts to alter Obamacare on Wednesday, but also used her remarks to a health care group in Florida to offer a full defense of the sweeping and controversial law. "I think we are on the right track in many respects but I would be the first to say if things aren't working then we need people of good faith to come together and make evidence-based changes," the former secretary of state and possible 2016 presidential candidate said. In particular, Clinton pointed to issues with "small business of 50 or more" providing coverage to their employees, and businesses "moving people from full-time work to part-time work to try to avoid contributing to their health care" as issues that should be addressed (Merica, 2/26).

Politico: Hillary Clinton Defends Obamacare
Hillary Clinton offered a defense of Obamacare -- but struck a note of concern for small business owners who've complained about mandates required by the law -- in a twin set of speeches in Florida on Wednesday (Haberman, 2/26).

The New York Times' The Caucus: Clinton Addresses A Key Constituency At The University Of Miami
On the domestic front, Mrs. Clinton defended the Affordable Care Act, warning that young people who think they are invincible need health insurance. If all Americans are covered, she added, insurance costs would come down (Chozick, 2/26). 

The Washington Post: Hillary Clinton Makes Case For 'Full Participation' And Equality
Clinton, who served under President Obama as secretary of state and championed health care reform in the 1990s, delivered a strong defense of Obama's Affordable Care Act and urged young people in the audience to sign up for health coverage. … Earlier Wednesday, Clinton endorsed efforts to change some provisions that have become problematic, such as the employee coverage requirement that has led some small businesses to move employees from full-time work to part-time work to avoid paying for their health care, according to CNN (Rucker, 2/26).

Reuters: Hillary Clinton Defends Obamacare, But Open To Changes -- Report
Hillary Clinton, who leads the pack of potential Democratic 2016 presidential contenders, defended Obamacare on Wednesday but added she was open to "evidence-based changes" in the program, CNN reported. President Barack Obama's signature healthcare reform law is shaping up as a hot-button campaign issue in congressional elections in November and possibly the 2016 White House race (2/26).

McClatchy: Is It Obamacare Or Hillarycare?
Is it Obamacare or Hillarycare? Republicans charge that Hillary Clinton, the former secretary of state and perhaps 2016 presidential hopeful, has such support for the federal health care law that "HillaryCare Is ObamaCare On Steroids." Clinton pushed for health care changes as first lady that the GOP says go farther than the current law, but she was unsuccessful. Later, she strongly supported the law advocated by President Barack Obama when she was a member of his Cabinet (Kumar, 2/26).