USDA's latest recommendation: Obamacare

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is the latest wing of the government calling on Americans to buy Obamacare.

While Obamacare might normally be seen as something for the Department of Health and Human Services to promote, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack offered his own advice on the subject late Friday. Vilsack focused his comments on how Obamacare can help rural Americans who might be more likely to live and work on farms.

USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack is now pitching Obamacare, which is in its second annual enrollment period.
Image: David Becker/Getty Images for National Clean Energy Summit

"The Affordable Care Act gives hardworking rural families the financial security and peace of mind they deserve," Vilsack wrote. "It makes rural communities stronger and rural families healthier."

Obamacare is in the midst of enrolling people for its second year. As Vilsack pointed out, people must sign up by the end of today, Monday, to get coverage by January. The open enrollment period lasts until February 15, although the Obama administration extended the deadline last year in order to give people more time in light of the glitches on the HealthCare.gov website.

The Department of Health and Human Services said in November that it expected about 9 million people to be enrolled in a healthcare plan by the end of 2015 — that's 4 million fewer than what the Congressional Budget Office estimated.

Last week, a senior Obama official said the government would no longer inflate enrollment numbers by including people who only sign up for dental plans.