Gov. Martin O’Malley pledged to help President Barack Obama as he tries to secure passage of a national health care overhaul. The Maryland governor called the federal push for reform a “once-in-a-generation opportunity.”

O’Malley was one of three governors who joined a White House-organized conference call to discuss Obama’s health care address to Congress and the nation. Also on the call were Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle, whose state has one of the lowest uninsured rates in the country at 8.9 percent, and Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, whose state achieved the lowest 5.4 percent uninsured rate after establishing universal health coverage several years ago. (Maryland’s rate is nearly 13 percent, according to just-released statistics from the Census Bureau.)

The trio of Democrats cheered Obama’s speech as Melody Barnes, director of the White House Domestic Policy Council, emphasized that the president has been meeting with “centrist” governors and reaching across the aisle in Congress. “The real lesson learned from month of August is that American people don’t want to accept the status quo,” Barnes said.

She and the governors repeated what they characterized as the president’s clearly stated goals: to ensure Americans can keep their current health insurance, to provide affordable choices to those who aren’t covered, and to rein in costs. O’Malley said he and other governors struggling with budget deficits would welcome efforts to keep costs under control.