Obama to tout health law amid Democratic worries over 2014

President Obama will make a public defense of his signature healthcare law Friday, using Mother’s Day as a backdrop.

Obama’s address comes at the early stages of a massive effort to promote the healthcare law and encourage people to enroll in its new coverage options, which will become available later this year.

Many Democrats are worried about the rollout, saying the White House has done too little to overcome deep misconceptions about the law. Without a massive public relations campaign, they say, the implementation could turn into a “train wreck” that threatens Democratic prospects in 2014.

{mosads}Obama will highlight popular pieces of the healthcare law, such as the provision allowing children to stay on their parents’ insurance policies through age 26, a White House official said. He’ll be flanked by “women and families” who have benefitted from the law.

“Mothers are the number one validator for the young and uninsured and will be critical in the effort to encourage their kids to enroll for insurance in the fall,” the White House official said.

The president acknowledged last week that there had been “glitches and bumps” in the law’s rollout. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.), a week before announcing he would not run for reelection, warned of an impending “train wreck” when it came to Obama’s signature healthcare law.

Obama hasn’t talked about his healthcare law much since the campaign, when he highlighted specific benefits as part of a broader push to win over female voters. He will apparently emphasize many of the same policies — most of which are politically popular — at Friday’s event.

The White House highlighted provisions of the health law that have expanded access to preventive services, including birth control, and allowing children to remain on their parents’ plans.