Obamacare Ad Blitz Planned for Olympics

The White House is planning to make a major play to sign up young and healthy Americans for Obamacare when the Winter Olympics open next month.

The Department of Health and Human Services will launch a TV ad blitz to take advantage of anticipated increased viewership on NBC stations which will carry the Olympic coverage between Feb. 7 and 23, an administration official confirmed to ABC News.

The official said the ads would run in markets with the highest rates of uninsured, but declined to specify the locations or the amount that would be spent.

The ads will encourage uninsured people, particularly young adults, to enroll in Obamacare coverage before the March 31 deadline. They will also educate consumers about new insurance benefits available under the Affordable Care Act, an official said.

Enrollment of young adults is seen as critical to the success of the law. Health industry experts say at least 40 percent of sign-ups need to be between the ages of 18 and 34 to keep premiums in check.

"We are ramping up education and outreach efforts to drive enrollment in the Health Insurance Marketplace as part of a sustained, aggressive campaign for the duration of open enrollment," said HHS spokeswoman Joanne Peters.

"HHS is using a mix of grassroots activities and stakeholder engagement to raise awareness, as well as targeted television, radio, and digital advertising with an emphasis on reaching young and healthy audiences in particular," she said.

The campaign was first reported by Politico.