WASHINGTON — The botched ObamaCare rollout had a health scare of its own Monday when a pregnant woman standing right behind President Obama nearly keeled over as he was touting the benefits of the new law.
Obama was addressing the nation on live TV from the White House Rose Garden and had just uttered the words “the law works” when Karmel Allison, a diabetic, grew visibly woozy.
She was staring straight ahead, closing her eyes, and taking deep breaths — before other participants in the press conference grabbed her and prevented the wobbly San Diego grad student from toppling onto the president.
Sensing the commotion, Obama turned around and also helped steady her.
“I got you, you’re OK,” the president said. “This happens when I talk too long,” he quipped, still facing the cameras.
Allison was one of 13 people described by the White House as having “benefited from the law already” who were invited to stand with Obama as he addressed the chaotic launch of his signature domestic program.
Only three of them, however, were enrolled in ObamaCare.
According to the White House, Allison was there as an example of someone who was an ideal candidate for the program, having kept her insurance with the same company since being diagnosed with diabetes at age 9.
Officials said that she was afraid that if she gave up her coverage to shop for a cheaper policy, she might not get coverage at all because of her pre-existing condition.
Under ObamaCare, insurance companies can’t take existing conditions into consideration when offering plans though health exchanges.
After the frightening incident, Allison tweeted: “I’m ok world — just got a little light-headed. Thanks, @BarackObama for catching me! ” ending with a symbol for a smiley face.
Allison is a graduate student at the University of California at San Diego, working in a cell biology lab.
She reported on a blog site last week that, “I’m going on nearly two decades as a diabetic now, but Friday night was a first for me, and one of the worst blood sugar nights I have ever had. “
A co-worker in the lab got in touch with her shortly after her nationally televised spell and told The Post: “She’s doing fine.”
The White House did not respond to questions about who paid the expenses of Allison and the other 12 people standing with Obama.
The president told the nation there was “no excuse” for the failures of the health plan’s Web site.
“There’s no sugarcoating it. The Web site has been too slow. People have been getting stuck during the application process,” he said, vowing: “These problems are getting fixed.”
He urged people who have trouble getting through the site to try using a call center.
“Nobody’s more frustrated by that than I am,” he said.
He pledged that a “tech surge” would fix the problems, and claimed thousands of Americans were already signing up — though the White House didn’t release official numbers.
Sounding like a TV pitchman, Obama added: “The product, the health insurance is good. The prices are good. It is a good deal.”
Republicans have been blasting Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sibelius for the failed rollout.
House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) said Sebelius’ refusal to appear before Congress this week “shows that this administration is still not prepared to be straight with the American people.”
“ObamaCare is collapsing under its own weight, and a Rose Garden speech isn’t going to fix it,” Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus said.
The White House said Monday that Sibelius would testify before a House committee that is investigating the rollout, but that Sibelius is unavailable for a scheduled hearing this week.
The scope of the problem will soon hit home for Sibelius. She told The Wall Street Journal she would be helping her son, John, an artist in Kansas, navigate the Byzantine Web site sign-up process this weekend when she returns home.
“My 29-year-old son is an entrepreneurial artist who is too old to be on his parents’ plan but has a job that doesn’t come with health insurance,” she told the Journal. “So he is also going to be in the marketplace looking for coverage.”