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First Lady's Spirited Defense Of Affordable Care Act Ignores Disastrous Rollout

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- She isn't just the First Lady of the United States. She's also a mom.

And that is why Michelle Obama is imploring parents to make sure they sign up for health insurance.

Mrs. Obama wrote an Op-Ed on the blog Babble and explained why the Affordable Care Act is a good thing.

Mrs. Obama told the personal story of how late one night 12 years ago, her daughter Sasha woke up sick and ended up in the emergency room.

She explains in the blog how she and Barack were lucky at the time because they had health insurance.

"So during the three long days Sasha spent in the hospital, our only worry was about her health because we knew the bills would be covered. And fortunately, while her care must have been terribly expensive, it didn't come anywhere near triggering her lifetime insurance caps," Mrs. Obama wrote.

In the blog, she goes on to explain how she and President Obama often hear from parents who have to pay outrageous insurance rates for health insurance because in some cases, their children have illnesses considered to be pre-exisiting conditions."

Mrs. Obama touted the Affordable Care Act, saying insurance companies can no longer discriminate against those with pre-existing conditions, nor put lifetime caps on coverage.

The First Lady also wrote that families without insurance can go to healthcare.gov and find a range of choices in one place in "easy-to-understand" language.

"But fortunately, because of the Affordable Care Act, we now have the security of knowing that no matter what life throws their way, we'll be able to get our kids the care they need. As a mother, I can't think of a better gift this holiday season," Mrs. Obama wrote.

Mrs. Obama's op-ed made no mention of the botched rollout of Healthcare.gov, and the faulty launch that caused Obama's approval ratings to drop significantly.

A recent CBS News/NY Times poll showed skepticism about the ACA extends through both insured and uninsured Americans.

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