Before the Obama administration announced Monday it will extend the deadline to sign up for health insurance by one day, President Barack Obama signed up for insurance under the Affordable Care Act.
Obama, who signed up over the Dec. 20 weekend, selected the "bronze" plan, which is the cheapest one available on the District of Columbia marketplace. He chose the cheapest "as a show of support" for Americans across the nation as they sign up before the deadline on Tuesday at 11:59 p.m. Those who sign up before then will be eligible for coverage beginning Jan. 1, 2014.
A White House official said the president's action is a representative gesture.
"The act of the president signing up for insurance coverage through the D.C. exchange is symbolic since the president's health care will continue to be provided by the military," the official told NBC News.
Since U.S. presidents also serve as Commander-in-Chief, presidents along with their immediate families receive health coverage through the military. The president and his family have their own doctor; can receive care at the White House Medical Unit and the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, NBC News reported.
Instead of registering at HealthCare.gov Obama signed up for the plan in person. This is because the president's information could not easily be found in the maze of government databases on the website used to confirm identities, NBC News reported.
Bronze plans are not only the cheapest, but they usually have the highest deductibles too. Because of his income and his military insurance, Obama does not qualify for any federal subsidy to help make payments, NBC News reported.
Nevertheless, Obama "was pleased to participate in a plan as a show of support for these marketplaces which are providing quality, affordable health care options to more than a million people," a White House official told NBC News.
