Today marks seven years since President Obama signed his signature achievement, the Affordable Care Act, into law. From the beginning, the law relied on young and healthy people buying in to the system so they could subsidize the older and less healthy.
Because paying for someone else’s care doesn’t sound like fun, the Obama administration and pro-Obamacare groups came up with over-the-top marketing to make it seem “cool” to millennials.
Due in part to low signup numbers from this crucial demographic, insurers soon began dropping out of Obamacare’s markets, competition began drying up, and premiums and deductibles began to skyrocket.
The efforts to get millennials to sign up didn’t go over so well, but it sure wasn’t for lack of trying. Here are seven times Obamacare marketing stunk of desperation:
- Brosurance
As a millennial, it’s pretty insulting that someone thought marketing ads like the ones below would get my interest.
- “Let’s hope he’s as easy to get as this birth control”
Never mind. This is definitely more insulting.
- Pajama Boy
Do you know anyone who wears onesie pajamas? They’re probably not the type who are too concerned about health insurance.
- Mom wants you to get insurance
You know who this ad might actually resonate with? Twenty-something year olds who still wear onesie pajamas.
- Christmas-themed?
Even when targeting millennials with Christmas-themed ads, they still managed to incorporate the kegs and creepy pickup lines.
- Find Me in Da Club
One pro-Obamacare group, Enroll America, went to nightclubs to get young people to sign up—because nothing puts you in the mood for buying health insurance like a night out with your friends.
- Shot skis
‘Obamacare— buy it so you can buy more shots!’
If you have enough shots, you might not realize how high your premium is getting or how unreachable your deductible is. Maybe that’s why so many of these have to do with drinking.
Millennials know a bad deal when they see it, which is why they didn’t sign up en masse for coverage through the Affordable Care Act. Today, the House of Representatives plans to vote on a replacement bill, but it doesn’t truly repeal Obamacare.
We need real healthcare reforms that young people can get behind. We’re still waiting.
