Contrite Obama apologizes for healthcare insurance pledge, website

Credit: Reuters/Larry Downing

U.S. President Barack Obama speaks about Affordable Health Care to volunteers at the Temple Emanu-El in Dallas, Texas, November 6, 2013.

Obama's expression of regret was aimed at placating Americans whose insurance plans are being canceled in spite of his oft-repeated pledge that if people liked their health plans, they would be able to keep them under Obamacare.

'We weren't as clear as we needed to be, in terms of the changes that were taking place,' Obama told NBC News.

'I am sorry that they are finding themselves in this situation, based on assurances they got from me,' he said.

Obama has been lambasted by angry Americans who are surprised to lose policies they thought would be grandfathered under Obamacare, as well as Republicans who oppose the law, and Democrats who are angry at the botched rollout of the signature reforms they supported.

The HealthCare.gov website designed to help Americans shop for insurance and see whether they qualify for subsidies has malfunctioned since it launched on October 1, exacerbating the confusion.

Obama said he is looking at 'a range of options' to help people whose insurance plans are being canceled, although he stopped short of pledging support for proposed legislation that would grandfather more of the policies.

Mitch McConnell, the top Republican in the U.S. Senate, said in a statement that Obama should support a Republican plan that would let Americans keep their existing plans if they so choose.

'If the President is truly sorry for breaking his promises to the American people, he'll do more than just issue a half-hearted apology on TV,' McConnell said.

Many lawmakers, including some Democrats, have pressed the White House to extend deadlines for enrolling in insurance or delay penalties. But Obama brushed off questions about whether he would support delays.

He said he was confident that by the end of November, the HealthCare.gov website would work for the 'majority of people,' and he pledged to do 'whatever it takes for people to be able to get what is good-quality health insurance at cheaper prices or better insurance for the same price as bad insurance that they've got right now.'

(Reporting by Steve Holland and Roberta Rampton; Editing by Eric Walsh and Ken Wills)