Advocacy Groups To Launch ACA Advertising Campaigns This Week

Organizing for Action and Enroll America -- advocacy groups that support the Affordable Care Act -- are launching nationwide advertising campaigns this week to promote the law, the Washington Post's "Post Politics" reports (Blake, "Post Politics," Washington Post, 6/17).

The campaigns come amid increased efforts by the Obama administration to implement the ACA (Sherfinski, "Inside Politics," Washington Times, 6/17).

OFA Campaign Releases First Ad

OFA -- a spinoff of President Obama's 2012 re-election campaign -- on Monday released its first 30-second online advertisement, which features U.S. residents who have benefited from the ACA, such as through no-cost preventive care and the medical-loss ratio, which resulted in insurance rebates for many consumers (Glueck, Politico, 6/17). According to the AP/Sacramento Bee, the group plans to spend about $1 million on ads this summer (Thomas, AP/Sacramento Bee, 6/17).

In addition to the ads, OFA Executive Director Jon Carson said the group plans to hire about 800 summer fellows to "engage with Americans across the country and educate them about the benefits of the new health care law" (Sink, "Hill Tube," The Hill, 6/17).

Enroll America Set To Launch Campaign Today

Meanwhile, Enroll America -- a not-for-profit coalition of health care advocacy groups -- is set to begin its education and outreach campaign Tuesday, Politico reports.

The group said it plans to use paid media ads and "comprehensive digital outreach" to educate residents about their options under the ACA (Thrush/Nather, Politico, 6/18). The group also plans to increase its staff from 50 to 275 workers.

Ron Pollack, chair of Enroll America's executive board, said the group's budget is "well into ... eight figures," adding, "The hope is we make a huge start, and as more and more people get coverage and tell their neighbors and friends about the coverage they receive, the word will spread significantly" (Zigmond, Modern Healthcare, 6/17).

Enroll American Seeks To Distance Itself From OFA, Obama Administration

Enroll America's organizers have been attempting to distance themselves from OFA and the Obama administration, after HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius was scrutinized by Republican lawmakers for soliciting donations to the group. Enroll American President Anne Filipic called the campaign a "consumer conversation ... not a political conversation" (Politico, 6/18).