(CNN) Former President Barack Obama defended his signature health care achievement on its seventh anniversary Thursday as the House of Representatives prepares for a major vote to repeal it.

He called the fight "about more than health care," but rather, "the character of our country."

"We finally declared that in America, health care is not a privilege for a few, but a right for everybody," Obama said in a statement.

He cautioned that Republicans and Democrats working to build on the law should "start from the baseline that any changes will make our health care system better, not worse for hardworking Americans."

It's highly unusual for a former president to make such a public and political statement less than 100 days after leaving office, signaling Obama's concern for the law's future.

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