“The Tonight Show” host Jimmy Fallon isn’t buying the White House’s excitement over Obamacare’s enrollment figures, as he skewered the Obama administration for celebrating 7.1 million enrollees — who would otherwise be forced to pay a fine if they didn’t sign up for health insurance under the law.
Fallon, who has been known to cozy up to President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, ridiculed the Obama administration during “The Tonight Show” on Tuesday.
“The White House said it surpassed its goal for people enrolled in Obamacare. It’s amazing what you can achieve when you make something mandatory and fine people if they don’t do it and keep extending the deadline for months,” Fallon quipped. “It’s like a Cinderella story. It’s just a beautiful thing.”
Those who do not receive health coverage are forced to pay a monetary penalty — $95 or 1 percent of one’s income.
The Obama administration announced Tuesday more than 7.1 million people had signed up for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act. And President Obama touted the law’s success during a speech in the Rose Garden.
“The debate over repealing this law is over,” the president said. “The Affordable Care Act is here to stay.”
Republicans, however, argue that the administration has yet to release data on how many of those have actually paid for their premiums. Additionally, the White House hasn’t announced how many enrollees were between the ages of 18 and 34.
Fallon went on to mock the White House for the saturated enrollment numbers, especially as many attempting to sign up were not able to because of the failed website.
“When asked how many people tried to sign up, they were like 70 million,” the late-night funny man said, muffling the number. “What’s that again? I just said everything’s a big success. Everything is great.”
Even after receiving a much-needed fix, the online exchange, healthcare.gov, crashed Tuesday morning as people tried to sign up for Obamacare before the March 31 deadline.
While the Obama administration warned of the law’s deadline, it extended the open enrollment period until mid-April.
Watch Fallon’s segment below.
