DENVER -- President Barack Obama specifically profiled the plight of a Colorado woman failed by the health care system in Wednesday night's nationally televised address.

But when 7NEWS started asking basic questions such as where is she from and what is her name, the administration that prides itself on being transparent wouldn't say a word.

In Wednesday night's speech, Obama said, "This is about the woman in Colorado who paid $700 a month to her insurance company, only to find out that they wouldn't pay a dime for her cancer treatment, who had to use up her retirement funds to save her own life."

Pretty compelling stuff, right?

Her story is so important that the president told it to the entire country.

7NEWS thought it was important enough to try to talk to the woman he profiled as an example of what many Americans are going through.

It has become common for Presidents and other public officials to use “real” people’s stories to shed light on the reason behind an agenda or campaign, so journalists have routinely taken up the task of verifying those stories.

But when we called the White House Press Office to find out more about this very public story, a spokesman said the White House wants to protect the woman's privacy and won't be releasing any information about her.

Not her name. Not where she's from. Nothing.

When there are so many people suffering, coming forward with health care nightmares, why choose to highlight a woman you can't name? Does the woman actually exist?

If she doesn't, this wouldn't be the first time a president has exaggerated a person for storytelling purposes.

Consider the Cadillac-driving "welfare queen" President Ronald Reagan often referred to that turned out to be a gross exaggeration.

In the case of President Obama’s example, there may be little doubt that the woman he referred to is a real person.

But when pressed for more information, the White House spokesman’s response was that we should just “trust the President.”

Colorado's Democratic Party Chair defended the president's decision to keep the person private.

"It makes a lot of sense to me. You can give an example, we give examples all the time, of how a policy works or doesn't work," she said. "And to make it more relevant, we may mention a first name or no name at all to tell the story. This is about telling the story, not necessarily pointing your finger at a specific person in the community."

But the president did point his finger at a specific person in the community, and then wouldn't say who she was so that journalists can fact check.

The Colorado Hospital Association reports 800,000 people in the state are uninsured.

Many people are suffering -- real people with real stories.

Why would the president illustrate his argument for health care reform with an anonymous woman whose story can't be verified?

7 News is still awaiting clarification of the Administration’s policy