Teens urged to promote ObamaCare under California grant, report says

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Calif. schools promote ObamaCare to students

Government tries to sway target population

The Los Angeles school system reportedly plans to use a state grant to promote ObamaCare, in part by teaching students to become “messengers” for the law.

The Heartland Institute first reported on the grant, one of $37 million in state grants announced in May by Covered California, the state’s health insurance exchange.

Of that, $990,000 was awarded to The Los Angeles Unified School District.

A brief synopsis of the grant says it would be used for “outreach calls” to families and “adult-student class presentations.” But it also states as an objective: “Teens trained to be messengers to family members.”

According to The Heartland Institute, a spokeswoman for Covered California said the group has “confidence” the Los Angeles program “will be successful in reaching our target population, which includes family members of students.”

A spokesman for the district also told the institute that teens will be part of a “pilot” program to see if they can be trained to “deliver outreach and limited education to family and friends in and around their homes.”

“Teens will be educating adults that they already know (e.g., family or friends) and not other adults,” the spokesman said.

The grant comes amid controversy in Congress over the Obama administration’s other efforts to promote the law, in advance of the entire law’s implementation. Several Republicans this past week urged major sports leagues to rebuff the administration’s call to help advertise for the Affordable Care Act.

The NFL on Friday issued a statement saying it had “no plans” to do so.

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