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Feds Plan Heavy Marketing of Health Exchange to Georgians

July 12th, 2013

More than half of the states – including Georgia – have opted to let the federal government set up their so-called “Insurance Exchange,” a website where those who need to buy newly-mandated health insurance can shop for coverage, compare prices, and see if they qualify for a subsidy.

But with fewer than three months to go before the exchange goes live, will it be ready when Georgians log on?

In a word, “Yes,” said Marilyn Tavenner, Administrator of the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

“I think we are ready,” Tavenner recently told a forum put on by the Georgia Chamber of Commerce. “Will it require some mitigation? Will there be some changes we make as we go along? Certainly.”

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October 1st is the day the federal government says the exchange will go live, so Georgians can expect to start start hearing more and more about it as officials ramp up marketing campaigns.

“It won’t surprise you where we’re going to be spending the most time,” said Mandy Cohen, a senior advisor to CMS during a recent speech at the Brookings Institution. ”It’s going those states that have the highest number of the uninsured: Texas, Florida, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Georgia, Michigan.”

Much of that effort will involve targeting the 18-35 age group, which Cohen said makes up the largest block of the uninsured.

Because of a relatively small marketing budget, Cohen said to expect a heavy push on social media and through media partnerships, with limited paid media advertising.

And when it comes to reaching males in that younger demographic, officials understand it can be especially difficult to get through. So they’ll supplement the message by going after someone else altogether.

“We’re thinking hard about how we reach your mom,” Cohen said. That’s because research shows mom is influential when it comes to health and wellbeing advice.

And it won’t just be the federal government trying to reach the uninsured. USA Today reports Affordable Care Act opponents are now buying TV time to undercut the law.

[Expanded health care coverage on WABE 90.1 is part of a partnership between WABE, NPR and Kaiser Health News.]