ready, set, enroll: what every health organization should know about aca public education and...
DESCRIPTION
With just two and a half months until the new health insurance marketplaces open for business, many organizations are still struggling with how and whether they need to educate their employees, patients and customers about the health law. Whether you work for a hospital system with uninsured patients under your care, a patient group representing Americans with costly medical conditions, or an employer who must provide coverage by 2015, it’s time to build a strategic communications and engagement plan for the rollout. Expert panel includes: - Michael Freeman, Executive Vice President, Healthcare Leadership Council - Ginette Magana, National Partner Engagement Director, Enroll America - Jeff Oldham, Managing Director, SevenTwenty Strategies - Vlad Cartwright, Executive Vice President, SevenTwenty StrategiesTRANSCRIPT
ACA COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES WEBINAR
Introductions
Michael Freeman Executive Vice President, Healthcare Leadership Council
Ginette Magana National Partner Engagement Director, Enroll America
Vlad Cartwright Executive Vice President, SevenTwenty Strategies
Jeff Oldham Managing Director, SevenTwenty Strategies
ACA COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES WEBINAR
Framing the Discussion
Under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA)
29 million Americans are slated to obtain private coverage through health insurance exchanges by 2019.
12 million are expected to gain coverage through Medicaid and CHIP programs.
With the upcoming deadline for implementing the Affordable Care Act (ACA), many organizations and individuals with a vested interest in its success, are struggling with ensuring that the program will be accepted and supported by the general public.
BLUEPRINT Look no further than the pharmaceutical industry's ongoing campaign to ensure continued public support and participation in and around the Medicare Part D program.
ACA COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES WEBINAR
Learn From The Past
Draw on the federal government's successful launch of Medicare Part D, a major national health coverage program that became law in December 2003.
Part D encountered significant technical, educational and coordination challenges at its outset, but eight years later, the public views the program as a success.
Not unlike ACA, The Medicare Modernization Act (MMA) was passed in a highly volatile, politically polarizing and partisan fashion.
CHALLENGES Educating their target audience (seniors) about the new benefit. Assisting them in enrolling during date specific periods. Conveying their approval for the program to the general public and most importantly, their elected officials and the media at large.
ACA COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES WEBINAR
Solutions
TACTICS USED Measure sentiment/research/test messages. Implement a robust public outreach and education campaign partnering with trusted, community-based organizations to ensure enrollment. Conduct an aggressive national paid and earned media campaign to ensure ongoing public support. Work with HHS & other agencies to create a simple yet comprehensive web portal that seniors could use to enroll. Continued, ongoing educational efforts to generate support.
ACA COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES WEBINAR
From Past To Present
How will we overcome our current challenges?
With ACA's initial enrollment period on the horizon, those with a vested interested in its success would do well to emulate the pharmaceutical industry's strategies for a successful rollout.
ACA COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES WEBINAR
Connecting Uninsured Americans with Health Coverage
The 2013-2014 Opportunity
ACA COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES WEBINAR
Contents
Enroll America’s Mission
Messaging to Reach Uninsured Americans
Get Covered America Campaign
ACA COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES WEBINAR
Mission: Maximize coverage for uninsured Americans
1. Educate and Engage 2. Mobilize to Enroll 3. Work with Partners to
Ensure System works
Enroll America will execute a national education and enrollment campaign
Successful implementation of ACA requires all-out effort by government, not-for-profits, insurers, hospitals, community health centers, health providers, and others
ACA COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES WEBINAR
One Fifth of the Uninsured Live in the Top 13 Counties and Half Live in the Top 114 Counties
Uninsured by State
<230K 230K - 600K
600K - 1.1M
1.1M+
Number of Uninsured
CA
TX
FL
NY IL
GA NC OH PA NJ MI AZ
VA
Rest of the U.S.
67% of uninsured live in 13 states
Source: Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, March 2011 and 2012
ACA COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES WEBINAR
One Fifth of the Uninsured Live in the Top 13 Counties and Half Live in the Top 114 Counties
402K 408K 419K 434K 445K 521K 531K 657K 675K 762K 887K
1.1M 2.2M
Queens County, NY Broward County, FL
San Bernardino County, CA Clark County, NV
Riverside County, CA San Diego County, CA
Orange County, CA Maricopa County, AZ
Dallas County, TX Miami-‐Dade County, FL
Cook County, IL Harris County, TX
Los Angeles County, CA
Uninsured by County
10% of the uninsured live in just 4 counties (LA, Harris, Cook, Miami)
20% of the uninsured live in top 13 counties (Top 4 + Next 9)
50% live in the top 114 counties (3.8% of total
counties in the US)
ACA COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES WEBINAR
The Uninsured are a Diverse Group
12
Age Gender
Ethnicity Income (as % of Poverty Level
Male 53%
Female 47%
<138 51%
139-400 38%
19-25 17%
<18 16%
26-34 21%
35-54 34%
55-64 12%
400+ 10%
White 45%
Latino 32%
AfAm 15%
Other 8%
Source: Kaiser Commission on Medicaid & The Uninsured, October 2012
ACA COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES WEBINAR
Facts About Coverage and Financial Help Are Critical
Messaging will raise awareness by highlighting 4 key facts
1. All insurance plans will have to cover doctor’s visits, hospitalizations, maternity care, emergency room care, and prescriptions
2. You might be able to get financial help to pay for a health insurance plan
3. If you have a pre-existing condition, insurance plans cannot deny you coverage
4. All insurance plans will have to show costs and what is covered in simple language
13
89% of respondents identified one of these as the most important fact to communicate
Source: Enroll America, November 2012
ACA COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES WEBINAR
Health Insurance Marketplaces Will Offer the Coverage Option Opportunities for All Americans
14
• Health Insurance Marketplaces open October 1, 2013, allowing consumers to purchase and enroll in health insurance, with coverage beginning January 1, 2014
• Marketplace certify qualified health plans and provide an easy way to compare options
• Continuum of coverage: Low income Americans (<138% of Federal Poverty Level) qualify for Medicaid, Americans at 138-400% FPL qualify for the Marketplace with tax credits, and Americans above 400% FPL qualify for the Marketplace or private plans
• Average subsidy for each subsidized enrollee is $5,510*
Health Coverage in 2014
Marketplace Open Oct 1 to Mar 31
Sign up on website and select coverage
Coverage begins Jan 1
How to Enroll
*Source: CBO, February 2013
ACA COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES WEBINAR
Enroll America Will Execute National Education and Enrollment Campaign Using Cutting-Edge Strategies and Tactics
15
Grassroots Organizing
Digital + Social Media
Data & Results Driven
Community Engagement
Strategic Partners
Earned Media
Paid Media
Surrogates
ACA COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES WEBINAR
Focus Resources in Targeted Areas Investment Decisions Based on Research and Analytics
67% of the uninsured live in 13 states and 50% live in just 114 counties
*May be subject to change
ACA COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES WEBINAR
Campaign Driven by Guiding Principles
17
Data-driven and metrics-based
Grassroots-focused
Coalition-based
Committed to cutting-edge online organizing and social media tactics and tools
Building a narrative of success
1
2
3
4
5
ACA COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES WEBINAR
Get Covered America Campaign Will Target Key Audiences
Uninsured Americans
Influencers General
Public
Campaign will conduct outreach and messaging to specific groups
Core Audiences
18
ACA COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES WEBINAR
Enroll America Will Work with an Array of Partners
19
Sampling of Partners
Many stakeholders play a role in a successful enrollment effort, including:
Retailers, consumer groups, hospitals, insurers, faith-based groups, business, labor, civic groups, community health centers, drug companies, and grassroots volunteers
ACA COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES WEBINAR 20
1. Capacity Building and Education
2. Marketplace Opens Phase 1 Enrollment
3. Coverage Begins & Phase 2 Enrollment
4. Learning and Capacity Building
5. Marketplace Opens
• Hire additional leadership, recruit volunteer leaders and increase collaboration with partners.
• Marketplace opens October 1st • Refine Field tactics and build strong media, grassroots and
partner relationships.
• Coverage begins on January 1st • Continue large-scale enrollment push to complete first year
of enrollment
• Debrief, learn lessons from past year, prepare for October
• Marketplace open from Oct. 15th to Dec. 7th • Launch full effort w/ media, events, grassroots
June-Sept ‘13
October - Dec ‘13
Jan ‘14 - March ‘14
April - Sept ‘14
Oct – Dec ‘14
Phase Dates Priorities
Campaign Timeline Builds to Marketplace Openings
ACA COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES WEBINAR
ACA COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES WEBINAR
ACA COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES WEBINAR
The Need for Effective Health Campaigns: Affordable Care Act
Kaiser April poll: 58% of uninsured not sure how ACA affects them 40% of overall U.S. population not sure ACA is still law of the land
Health reform law still controversial: 36% approve, 54% disapprove (CBS News poll – July 2013)
Implementation problematic, confusing Some states implementing insurance exchanges, some refusing, some not sure if they can make deadline. Medicaid expansion not uniformly embraced by states. Concerns about employers ending health coverage, sending workers into health exchanges.
ACA COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES WEBINAR
Medicare Part D Campaign Research
Mass communications – TV advertising, direct mail – do not sufficiently inform target population
Potential enrollees want detailed information from a credible source Most want to hear from a doctor or pharmacist
Overly simplistic messages, cute slogans considered insulting When people are spending their money, they want hard facts
All outreach needed to steer clear of political persuasion
ACA COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES WEBINAR
Going Retail with the Campaign
Medicare Today campaign Over 400 national, regional and local organizations Seniors Health providers Employers Caregivers Retail centers Faith-based groups
Community organizers recruited in all 50 states
ACA COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES WEBINAR
Medicare Today: Lessons Learned
Recruit partners who can reach all sectors of your target population
Expand your reach – train the trainers
Don’t make people come to you. Go to them. Grocery store and pharmacy events Senior center programs Congressional town halls Hospitals and doctor’s offices Focus on local, not national, media. Consumer-friendly “news you can use” Develop state-based news hooks
Create attention-getting materials, videos
ACA COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES WEBINAR
Health Access America: Reaching the Uninsured
Ten test cities linking uninsured with public, private coverage resources
Cleveland
Memphis
Nashville
Columbia, SC
Baton Rouge
Corpus Christi
Saginaw
Las Vegas
Las Cruces, NM
Raleigh, NC
ACA COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES WEBINAR
Evaluating the Campaign
Did people sign up for the program? Over 85 percent of Medicare beneficiaries have some form of prescription drug coverage Most difficult challenge – reaching low-income seniors with information about financial assistance
Monitoring through annual surveys Do you have drug coverage? Is the program making your prescriptions affordable? Is the enrollment system easy to use? Ask for specific positives, negatives
ACA COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES WEBINAR
Health Access America: Target Populations
Segments of the population with disproportionate uninsured rates
Small business owners and employees
Families with children
Young people
Latino Americans
ACA COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES WEBINAR
Research Shows Health Coverage Outreach Need, Challenges
Health insurance information not easily accessible
54% said they did not know of a reliable source for information about coverage
73% of families with children
66% said they weren’t likely to look for information because it would be unaffordable anyway
Health insurance not an easy sell Difficult to convince people, if healthy, to spend money on something they don’t currently have
Different than Medicare outreach – where value of prescription drugs for seniors is more clear
ACA COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES WEBINAR
Communications Research Findings
Communication must come from a credible source Corporate interests instinctively distrusted. Best sources are experts without company ties.
Contact must be repeated and persuasive A simple, objective just-the-facts approach doesn’t move people to act
Messages about affordability have to be handled with tact Wrong language can sound patronizing, condescending
ACA COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES WEBINAR
Health Access America: Lessons Learned
Know your environment What programs are in place? Who are leading public, private players? Is their low-income financial assistance available?
Build a strong partner network Local individuals, organizations can reach more people, achieve quicker credibility than Washington, D.C.
Leverage already-existing events Much energy can be wasted trying to create enrollment “events.” More sensible to piggyback on something already in place.
Localize your message Local spokespeople, local verbiage , local icons. Difficult to nationalize a campaign with personal impact.
ACA COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES WEBINAR
Health Access America: Lessons Learned
Utilize the local media Community-based media gets closer attention. National sources get glossed over.
One-on-one counseling is vital On personal financial matters, large group communications set stage. Personal conversation closes the deal.
Make outreach easy Small business owners, parents have little free time. Schedule events accordingly.
ACA COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES WEBINAR
Health Access America: Results
1,125 health insurance education events
33,122 attendees
16,405 enrollees
Results underscore the importance of strategic, aggressive outreach to link uninsured Americans with coverage
ACA COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES WEBINAR
ACA COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES WEBINAR
Learnings from Branded Efforts:
Campaigns for five brands in support of Part D, Medicare Advantage, Medicaid and Special Needs Plans in support of education and enrollment
Confirm the findings from Health Access America and Medicare Today efforts
41 Markets covered nationwide with diverse demographic range (age and ethnicity)
Direct contact with target audience in familiar settings with trusted sources is key
Critical to understand how your audiences make decisions and who can ultimately assist in influencing their decision
Taking advantage of existing local events or sponsoring with local partners provides both an audience and credibility
Local organizations and providers key to disseminating information (from a trusted source)
ACA COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES WEBINAR
Results of Branded Efforts:
2,054 events
1,200 provider partnerships
Over 3,500 community and faith-based organization partnerships
Millions of print materials distributed through local community and faith-based partnerships
Enrollment in over 90% of target markets exceeded goals for census growth
ACA COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES WEBINAR
Would You Like More Information?
To learn more about the services offered by SevenTwenty Strategies contact
Jeff Oldham [email protected] 202.962.3955
This session has been recorded and will be placed at: http://www.720strategies.com/webinars