Obama Signs Up for Obamacare, Though He Doesn’t Need It

In the White House’s latest move to save face for the health-care law known as Obamacare, President Obama himself bought an insurance plan using the DC Health Link exchange.

The purchase is entirely symbolic, though. While Obama bought a plan on the “bronze” tier that covers 60 percent of medical costs, he won’t be using it. As president, Obama’s health care is provided by the military, and in a statement, the White House says Obama will continue to be cared for by his team of military doctors.

Obama’s plan only covers him and not the rest of his family. According to DC Health Link’s cost estimator, a 52-year-old man earning $400,000 a year would pay a premium of about $400 a month for a bronze plan and would not be eligible for a subsidy.

The president, who is vacationing in Hawaii, did not make the purchase himself. And rather than use DC Health Link’s website, a White House aide visited a DC insurance office in person. Presumably, that conversation about Obamacare required the staffer to change out of his or her pajamas.

Benjamin Freed

Staff Writer

Benjamin Freed joined Washingtonian in August 2013 and covers politics, business, and media. He was previously the editor of DCist and has also written for Washington City Paper, the New York Times, the New Republic, Slate, and BuzzFeed. He lives in Adams Morgan.