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President Barack Obama on Thursday defended his namesake health care program, long a target of Republicans and recently criticized by some Democrats, saying millions of Americans "now know the financial security of health insurance" because of the Affordable Care Act. "It's worked," he said, even while allowing that the program isn't perfect. "No law is." (Superville, 10/20)

President Obama acknowledged "growing pains" with his signature health insurance law on Thursday, offering a number of proposals that he said would expand health insurance and reduce premiums. ... He compared it to a "starter home" that needs improvements over time, and even to the Samsung Galaxy Note 7, a smartphone recalled last month after they started catching fire. "When one of these companies comes out with a new smartphone and it had a few bugs, what do they do?  They fix it. They upgrade, unless it catches fire. Then they pull it off the market," he said. "But you don’t go back to using a rotary phone. You don’t say, well, we're repealing smartphones." (Korte, 10/20)

The president said rising premiums and diminished competition in ACA insurance exchanges in some states are especially problematic for people who do not qualify for federal subsidies that the law provides. He proposed that his successor in the White House and the next Congress provide larger tax credits to encourage young adults to buy coverage through the marketplaces and raise the income thresholds to make the subsidies available to more middle-class families. (Goldstein, 10/20)

Obama renewed calls for every state to expand Medicaid, which 19 states have refused to do. Roughly 4 million low-income Americans would be eligible for coverage if every state adopted Medicaid expansion. In addition, Obama reiterated support for a government-run insurance plan that could bolster competition in the Obamacare marketplaces. Without offering specifics, Obama also called for additional subsidies to make coverage more affordable. Both ideas have encountered strong resistance from Republicans. (Demko, 10/20)

Obama on Thursday said there should be more premium tax credits for middle income families who currently make too much money to qualify for a subsidy. He also said there should be a fallback public option for states where there is not enough competition among insurers. Clinton has campaigned on this idea, but it would probably only be possible at a state level, especially if Republicans retain control of the House. (Muchmore, 10/20)

He carefully sought to separate that criticism from the inflamed political rhetoric of the GOP, blasting the House for voting 60 times to repeal Obamacare without producing a replacement bill. And he was quick to blame Republican leaders in statehouses across the country for blocking some of the law’s central programs, such as Medicaid expansion and state-run marketplaces. (Ferris and Fabian, 10/20)

Republicans pointed to some of the law’s challenges before Mr. Obama even finished the speech, delivered at Miami Dade College. “Obamacare is collapsing. Insurance companies are abandoning the program, leaving stranded families to face higher premiums and fewer choices,” said Wyoming Republican Sen. John Barrasso, in a statement sent out about halfway through the remarks. (Radnofsky, 10/20)

Republicans have been bashing Obamacare for more than six years and there is no sign that they’re going to break that habit — let alone vote for legislative repairs. House Speaker Paul Ryan said Thursday that the law “can’t be fixed.” Obamacare is the reason “we’ve seen record premium hikes,” Ryan said in a statement. “That's why millions of people—including millennials—have lost their plans, or been forced to buy plans they don’t like. That's why we've seen waste, fraud, and abuse. And at this point, one thing is clear: This law can't be fixed.” (Haberkorn, 10/20)