Obama Administration Courting the Young To Join ACA’s Exchanges

The Obama administration in recent days has begun attempting to market the Affordable Care Act to young, healthy individuals, in the hopes they will enroll in the law's health insurance exchanges, The Hill's "Healthwatch" reports.

Observers note that the participation of healthy young people is key to the success of the exchanges because they can offset higher-cost participants and help keep premiums down (Viebeck [1], "Healthwatch," The Hill, 6/26).

Federal Efforts

As part of its effort, the White House has reached out to major professional sports leagues and celebrities.

HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius on Monday confirmed that she has discussed ACA promotions with the National Football League for paid advertising and partnerships. The agency also reportedly has contacted the National Basketball Association, according to "Healthwatch" (Viebeck, "Healthwatch," The Hill, 6/25). In addition, a spokesperson for Major League Baseball said the organization had been contacted (California Healthline, 6/25).

Further, the administration is seeking celebrities to promote the ACA, including Eva Longoria, Jay-Z and Beyoncé, Pearl Jam guitarist Mike McCready, Pitbull and others (Viebeck [2], "Healthwatch," The Hill, 6/26).

Trevor Neilson -- leader of the Global Philanthropy Group, which represents Longoria and others -- said his clients are "looking at ways to be involved" with the ACA and other firms likely are doing the same.

Advertising experts have suggested that the administration develop a simple tagline to emphasize the law's benefits and ensure that online systems match the tone of the promotional campaign, according to "Healthwatch" (Viebeck [1], "Healthwatch," The Hill, 6/26).