The 75.4 Million Solution
On November 4, 2016, Margot Sanger-Katz of The Upshot at The New York Times, reported that the average Obamacare premium rate would increase by 22% for 2017. One contributing factor to this increase is the low participation rate of young and healthy Americans in the state and federal exchanges. “The Blue Cross Blue Shield Association released a widely publicized report last month that said new enrollees under ObamaCare had 22 percent higher medical costs than people who received coverage from employers.”
In an effort to stabilize the health insurance marketplace, The Department of Health and Human Services developed a strategy to increase Millennial enrollment. Unsurprisingly, the plan is digital, and includes:
· Outreach and marketing campaigns through Twitch, a social video platform for gamers
· Organized “young adult social media outreach campaign under one umbrella: #HealthyAdulting”
HHS is also partnering with the IRS to contact those individuals who opted to pay the Obamacare tax penalty rather than enroll in health insurance.
Targeting millennials through digital platforms and improving Healthcare.gov’s user experience is a great start, but it isn’t sufficient to realize the enrollment upticks required to balance the exchange risk pool. According to a study conducted by GE Healthcare Camden Group, “millennials’ definition of health is different from the generation that preceded them”, which in turn, affects their expectations and consumption of health care services. It is not enough for HHS to market the exchanges via digital platforms. Instead, it would behoove the agency to expand its strategy, such that it is twofold:
· Target marketing efforts to young and healthies via the processes outlined above
· Update Healthcare.gov’s website content to include comprehensive service reviews provided by each plan. These evaluations should cover the cost of services, telehealth options, and care provider assessments.
Connecting with the young and healthy generation requires communication on platforms which they are familiar, and a revision of website content. HHS should employ both strategies, as they offer an opportunity to prevent future premium hikes.
