The Obama administration is starting a data-driven marketing push for Obamacare enrollment, hoping to boost signups for 2017 even as the healthcare law runs up against some significant obstacles.
Officials on Thursday provided the most detailed explanation yet of how they intend to target people for enrolling in marketplace plans, saying the goal is to reach people through online ads and paper mailers sent at the right times and in smarter ways.
The online strategy will include ads on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube, optimized search engine results so people find healthcare.gov more easily, a more usable mobile website and emails sent to 30 percent more people than last year.
The administration also says it plans to send more than 10 million pieces of direct mail to potential enrollees, compared to 800,000 pieces of mail last year, and increase television advertising right before the Dec. 15 deadline to enroll for 2017 coverage.
“By applying a data-driven approach to how, when and where we communicate about open enrollment, we’re confident we can make our outreach more effective,” said Josh Peck, chief marketing officer for healthcare.gov.
As signup season nears, advocates for President Obama’s healthcare law face a number of major challenges. Fewer insurers than last year are selling plans on the state-based marketplaces and the ones remaining are raising rates significantly, leading even some Democrats to criticize the situation.
Officials acknowledged the premium hikes and reduced competition on a call Thursday with reporters, but reiterated their chief response to the problems — that the majority of enrollees are eligible for tax subsidies to buy their plans.
“The most important thing I can convey today is the headline rates don’t accurately reflect what consumers actually pay,” Peck said.
Administration officials wouldn’t say how much they’re spending on marketing this year, but stressed that the marketing strategy will be more effective than in past years, as they’re drawing on lessons learned in the first three enrollment seasons.
“What we want to leave you with is the impression that every dollar spent will be smarter,” said Mandy Cohen, chief operating officer for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
Officials didn’t name a specific enrollment target for the signup season, which begins Nov. 1 and continues through Jan. 31, but said they will release a goal before signups start.
Officials also said enrollees whose plans have been canceled will be notified multiple times that they need to choose a new plan before the start of the year.
