The Department of Health and Human Services is trying a new way to encourage Americans — namely female Americans — to register for Obamacare, and it involves a blue-eyed, curly-haired guitar-picking musician named Korby.
In a blatant attempt to reach out to the female population, HHS released a new ad titled "Inspired to Play Music, Inspired to #GetCovered" on Wednesday. The ad features a Nashville, Tenn., musician named Korby who's always "fishing for the next song" — just the kind of gentleman who makes the ladies swoon. But life for Korby isn't so easy as a singer/songwriter. His financial situation isn't the greatest, and he struggles to find affordable healthcare.
"I'm really passionate about music," the guitar player says, "writing it, playing it, performing it, touring around. As a songwriter, all different things inspire you. Sometimes it's the girl you are currently into or the last one who broke your heart."
Hopefully that broken heart didn't land Korby in the emergency room, as just one trip could easily "derail him financially," he laments.
Enter Obamacare.
At the behest of a friend who lives in Seattle, Korby headed to Healthcare.gov to register for health insurance.
"As an artist, I don't make a lot of money and so I was really surprised and grateful my insurance has a $500 deductible," Korby says. "I pay $17.34 a month. Boom."
The ad flashes to the musician in a recording studio, not-so-subtly singing "You gotta do what you got to do" and praising Obamacare for giving him the peace of mind he didn't know he could have.
Though Korby is breathing a sigh of relief for his $17-per-month premium, he is one of the few who is paying such a cheap price with a low deductible under the Affordable Care Act.
According to data from the Department of Health and Human Services, Americans will pay an average of $328 per month for a mid-tier healthcare plan. And if more than 2.7 million 18- to 29-year-olds fail to register for healthcare under the federal exchange, the cost of plans could go up for others. Additionally, research conducted by the Heritage Foundation found that an average 27 year old will see his or her premium increase approximately 58 percent.
Guess Korby, with his boy-next-door good looks and guitar, is a lucky one.
Watch the new ad from HHS below.