Hollywood's Big Move to Support Obamacare

Seeking to avoid the so called death spiral for Obamacare, the entertainment industry is jumping in to try to encourage young people to sign up on the health exchanges, Variety reports.

The six-hour live stream event Thursday is part of the “Tell a Friend — Get Covered” campaign.

In this photo provided by NBC Lady Gaga performs during the season five finale of “The Voice” on Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2013, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/NBC, Trae Patton) AP Photo/NBC, Trae Patton

John Legend, Jason Mraz, Pearl Jam, Lady Gaga and Kerry Washington are among celebrities who have promoted the event on Twitter.

The Obamacare numbers released this week show the bulk of enrollees skew older, while only 24 percent of the enrollees in the health exchanges were between 18 and 34. The Obama administration had targeted 40 percent.

Having young, typically healthier enrollees is important for covering the higher insurance costs of the older, typically less healthy population. A better balance would also theoretically keep prices lower.

Funny or Die, Maker Studies and YouTube Studios are partnering with Covered California and other state insurance exchanges for the event. It will be held at YouTube Studios in Playa Vista.

“The event will be a mix of comedy skits and educational segments, including Funny or Die videos featuring Jennifer Hudson, Olivia Wilde and Elizabeth Banks,” Variety reports.

“Tell a Friend — Get Covered” is incorporating Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Vine to target younger audiences.

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