Public outreach and marketing campaigns for the federal health insurance exchange site have been rather quiet with just two days to go until open enrollment kicks off. While the Obama administration has been focusing on fixing the looming technical issues associated with the federal exchange, expect that focus to change, reports Politico.
The latest challenge plaguing this upcoming enrollment period is signing up uninsured Americans who are "confused, clueless or downright hostile" about the programs available to them--or to reform in general, according to Bloomberg.
So what tricks does the administration have in its bag to solve this problem?
Officials will launch a more precise and targeted marketing strategy this year using a variety of oulets, Politico notes. For instance, the administration learned last year that radio spots are effective for reaching Latinos who need enrollment help and that digital are more effective than broadcast spots and cost less, too, according to Politico.
And of course, young adults is a key demographic to target, especially since 24 percent of individuals ages 18 to 29 lack health insurance.
Last year, the hashtag #bornin88 flooded Twitter, informing soon-to-be 26-year-olds to sign up. This year, Politico predicts #bornin89 will sweep the Internet.
States are taking their own approach to marketing and outreach as they brace for more confusion--and even hostility from those who don't support reform--this time around. Michigan's largest healthcare enrollment group, Enroll Michigan, has trained volunteers and paid enrollment counselors and insurance brokers on Affordable Care Act guidelines, so they can better assist consumers, reports Bloomberg.
"There is huge pressure on the administration to make this thing work and be pretty seamless," Robert Blendon, a health policy professor at Harvard University, told Bloomberg. "It's going to be a bit tougher, because you're enrolling people who for whatever reason were not that excited to sign up last year."
For more:
- here's the Politico piece
- check out the Bloomberg story