The Obama administration is allocating more of its Obamacare media budget this year to reaching Latinos, but won’t give a final goal for how many Latinos it wants enrolled in health coverage by the end of signup season.
Nearly one-third of spending to spread the news about Affordable Care Act benefits is going to Hispanic media, Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell said Wednesday. Last year, just 10 percent of the media budget targeted Spanish-language outlets, she said.
Officials said that in the final few weeks of ACA enrollment, they’re doubling down on outreach to the Latino community, which remains the least-insured group in the country. Efforts to reach Latinos have floundered at times, with the administration twice delaying the launch last year of CuidadoDeSalud.gov, the Spanish-language version of healthcare.gov.
“As one of the fastest-growing communities in our nation, Latinos’ health is vital to the overall health of our country,” Burwell said on a call with leaders of Latino groups.
But when asked how many Latinos she hopes will sign up by this year’s Feb. 15 enrollment deadline, Burwell gave only the administration’s overall goal: 9.1 million Americans enrolled in private coverage through the marketplaces.
So far, Latinos make up a slightly larger percentage of total enrollees this year. Eight percent of plan selections have been made by Latinos, compared to 7 percent in 2014. Affordable Care Act advocates will be “kicking it into overdrive” over the next few weeks, said Anne Filipic, president of Enroll America.
“We know there’s a lot of work to be done to engage Latino communities in the last few weeks,” Filipic said.
Officials said a key part of the strategy is meeting Latinos where they are. Research shows that they’re more likely than other groups to ask for personal assistance when signing up, and they overwhelmingly want to use the Spanish-language website.
Latinos are also more likely to visit the marketplace using a mobile device. Nearly one-third of visitors to healthcare.gov use a phone or tablet; with CuidadoDeSalud, it’s nearly half, Burwell said.
“We’re working to meet consumers where they are,” she said.
