Thread: Seeking to woo youths, White House attempts to make ObamaCare cool

Seeking to woo youths, White House attempts to make ObamaCare cool

By Elise Viebeck - 06/26/13 05:00 AM ET



Administration officials have a daunting task in the weeks ahead: making ObamaCare “cool.”
Marketing experts say a hip branding effort is what’s needed to draw people into the new health insurance exchanges set to launch in January.
Officials working to implement President Obama’s signature program recognize the need to generate buzz, and are working around the clock to come up with a marketing campaign that convinces young people to participate.
They’re reaching out to the NFL, the NBA and Hollywood for help, and counting down the days to Oct. 1, when enrollment in the exchanges officially begins.

The administration is in a good position to secure splashy endorsements, as Obama’s 2008 and 2012 campaigns had a deep bench of celebrity surrogates.“Beyoncé all but took on the first lady’s ‘Let’s Move!’ platform, so imagine the pull Obama will have to sell healthcare,” said one former administration official.
“Maybe Jay-Z will even help out,” the official added.
Celebrity endorsements, slick ad campaigns and cutting-edge online enrollment would all serve one overriding purpose for the White House: connecting young, healthy people with their new healthcare benefits.
Without participation from that demographic, the new insurance exchanges will stumble out of the gate as older, sicker patients enroll. Younger, healthier people are needed to keep premium prices from skyrocketing.
But uninsured young people tend to be least concerned with purchasing health insurance and the least knowledgeable about the Affordable Care Act, according to polling.
That’s what the administration hopes will change as a product of its celebrity and sports partnerships.
“It’s this weird push-pull,” said one former senior administration official.
“The constituencies that have the most to gain are people under 35, but it’s a segment of the population that doesn’t think much of their health.
“I think [federal officials] know they have to do something that piques interest.”
One firm that’s in talks with federal officials is Global Philanthropy Group, headed by Clinton White House veteran Trevor Neilson. It represents Eva Longoria, John Legend and many other stars.
Neilson said his clients are “looking at ways to be involved,” and it’s unlikely that he’s the only Tinseltown representative in contact with the administration.
But using celebrity spokesmen for ObamaCare could easily backfire, advertising experts told The Hill.
“You don’t want a celebrity who is know for a high-flying lifestyle, who is out of touch with normal people,” said Brian White, a senior vice president at Vibrant Media.
“It’s probably not Jay-Z, because what does he care about healthcare? The right celebrity could work, but I would tell the White House to proceed with caution.”
Promoting the law is rife with landmines for the Obama administration.
According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, half of the uninsured say they’ve heard nothing at all about the new insurance exchanges.
On top of that, some fear the law’s penalty for not purchasing coverage is too low to ensure people enroll in the exchanges. Next year, the fine for remaining uninsured will be $95 — hardly a stretch compared with the cost of insurance, though the fine will rise to $695 by 2016.
In one heartening sign for supporters of the law, the same Kaiser survey found that most 18- to 25-year-olds see carrying health insurance as “very important.”
“The healthcare law is a big opportunity for a lot of young people who are uninsured,” said Alex Miller with Washington Bus, a nonprofit group that promotes political engagement among young people.
But Miller cautioned that the administration could strike out if its healthcare campaign seems inauthentic.
“There’s a perception that to talk to young folks, you have to approach it with a ‘cool kids’ vibe,” Miller said.
“What we’ve found is that when you’re authentic and clear, you’re more effective.”
Experts suggested that the administration come up with a clean, simple tagline for the healthcare law to emphasize its benefits.
That slogan, if done right, could help to undo years of negative press for the law, they said.
“The objective is to get people to look at this program with fresh eyes,” said Allen Adamson, managing director at brand consulting firm Landor Associates.
“Right now, it’s buried under a mountain of negativity. If my favorite celebrity says in a commercial ‘Let me talk to you about ObamaCare,’ I’m just going to change the channel.
“They have to pretend that this law is a whole new product — maybe ‘ObamaCare 2.0,’ ” he said.
Advertising executives also urged the White House to make sure the online enrollment system matches the tone of the campaign.
Consumers like white space, fast load times and online forms that indicate how close a user is to the end, experts said.
“Most of this is common sense,” said White with Vibrant Media, a leader in content digital advertising.
“You don’t want a slick ad campaign that directs people to a stodgy government page.”


Read more: http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/health-reform-implementation/307819-seeking-to-woo-youths-white-house-attempts-to-make-obamacare-cool#ixzz2XKdErSBR




Hmm are death panels cool now????

Celebs you might see promoting ObamaCare

By Elise Viebeck - 06/26/13 04:50 AM ET

Read more: http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch...#ixzz2XL8fUHIv
Follow us: @thehill on Twitter | TheHill on Facebook

By Elise Viebeck - 06/26/13 04:50 AM ET


Acting as a surrogate for President Obama's 2012 campaign became something of a status symbol in Hollywood last year. This year, the White House can only hope that the same proves true for roles in promoting ObamaCare.

Several stars are currently in talks with Obama officials to tout the new healthcare law ahead of its rollout on Jan. 1. Trevor Neilson, a political adviser with a long roster of celeb clients, said many stars are "looking at ways to be involved."

Here are several A-listers you might see promoting ObamaCare over the next six months.

* Eva Longoria

Longoria was one of the president's lead surrogates in the last election, serving as a national campaign co-chair and a top bundler. The "Desperate Housewives" star focused her attention on Latino voters, whose enrollment in the new insurance exchanges is seen as vital to ObamaCare's success. She is also on Neilson's client roster.

"Thanks to the president’s landmark healthcare reform, insurance companies will no longer charge women up to 50 percent more than men for the same plan," Longoria told Glamour magazine last May.

* John Legend

This nine-time Grammy winner could be a natural fit for campaigns to promote healthcare reform: He has stumped for Obama and even mentioned healthcare in his song lyrics. Legend is also a client of Neilson's.

"I think it will impact so many people," Legend said of the law in an interview last September. "Under Obamacare, as the law rolls out, so many more poor people will have access to affordable healthcare than have been able to in the past decade."

* Oprah Winfrey

The television icon was a top Obama booster and is a close friend of Obama and his family. Though her media properties have shied away from backing healthcare reform, there is nothing stopping Winfrey from touting the law herself.

* Pearl Jam guitarist Mike McCready

McCready urged voters to support Obama last October specifically because of healthcare reform. In a YouTube video, he cited his experience with Crohn's disease and said insurance companies had twice denied him coverage.

"I have a pre-existing condition, and I feel like I have some hope," McCready said, praising the law. "Anybody that doesn't have the means that I have will have it, too."

* Jay-Z and Beyonce

Hip-hop's power couple stood on Obama's inaugural platform in January, five years after Jay-Z first endorsed Obama for president. The pair were major fundraisers for the campaign last year, and at least one former administration official is hoping they'll join efforts to promote ObamaCare. Advertising experts, however, said not so fast — Jay-Z and Beyonce may not be relatable enough to speak convincingly about being uninsured.

* Kerry Washington

The "Scandal" actress addressed the Democratic National Convention in 2012 and said she received death threats from Republican fans following her speech. Washington recently made more news in D.C. when she accompanied First lady Michelle Obama to an elementary school in Anacostia to promote arts education.

Repealing ObamaCare would "let insurance companies go back to charging women more than men for the same care and would deny insurance to millions of Americans with preexisting conditions at the very moment when they need coverage the most," Washington wrote in an op-ed last October.

* Armando "Pitbull" Perez

Perez rallied Obama supporters in Florida in the week of the 2012 election. Originally from Miami, the first-generation Cuban American was a hit when he told the crowd that the United States allows him to "control his own destiny." "Pitbull" is also close to several other high-profile Obama supporters, including Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony, and was reportedly part of festivities at the Democratic National Convention.

* LeBron James

The Health and Human Services Department is in talks with the NBA to help promote ObamaCare, and nobody would be a bigger star in that effort than Miami Heat forward LeBron James. The basketball legend is receiving lots of buzz as a potential spokesman for the law who could appeal to young men.

James visited the White House in January, where he couldn't contain his excitement at meeting the president and at one point, called Obama "coach."

* Ashley Judd

Just because Ashley Judd isn't challenging Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) in the next election doesn't mean she couldn't have a role in touting healthcare reform. Judd was praised earlier this year as a rising Democratic star and an articulate supporter of progressive causes. In March, amid speculation over her political future, she gave a speech at George Washington University about women's health issues. She's also tweeted in support of ObamaCare, joking during the election that the law covers "Romnesia."

* Sarah Jessica Parker

Though she's already hoping for a Hillary Clinton run in 2016, Sarah Jessica Parker would be at home on a list of ObamaCare surrogates. The "Sex and the City" star raised money for Obama last year and appeared in several television interviews touting the president's record. She also appeared in the 2012 campaign's first national TV spot, airing on MTV, and worked alongside senior Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett in Ohio ahead of the election.

"The reason I care has nothing to do with me and my personal stake," Parker told Access Hollywood Live in October. "I'm simply concerned about … access to important things like mammograms and screenings for cervical cancer."

Bonus possibilities: Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Wonder, Dave Matthews, Neil Diamond, John Mellencamp, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Scarlett Johansson, and Marc Anthony. The California exchange's <acronym title="Google Page Ranking"><acronym title="Google Page Ranking">PR</acronym></acronym> plan also mentioned shows like Grey's Anatomy, Modern Family, the Biggest Loser and Dr. Oz as possible venues for pro-ObamaCare messaging.


Read more: http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch...#ixzz2XKdw5d1u



The list of useful idiots, impressed yet????

All Hell Will Break Loose When Low-Info Voters Become Prisoners of Obamacare


Posted on June 26, 2013

These misinformed voters will just believe the next lie and blame Bush again.
Check it out:
All right, here’s what we think we know. Section 5000(a)(f) of the Internal Revenue Code — and that’s where you have to go to find out a Medicare provision for Obamacare — section 5000 of the Internal Revenue Code says minimum essential coverage — health care — can consist of either, A, government sponsored coverage, such as the Medicare or Medicaid, or, B, an eligible employer sponsored plan. Well, this guy’s losing that, so if he’s got Medicare or Medicaid, he’s covered. However — and there’s always a kicker — Medicare, don’t forget, has been cut to the bone by Obamacare in order to so-called make it fit in under this trillion-dollar magic number cost. Remember the $500 billion Medicare cuts.
Well, what that means in practical application is that Medicare coverage is being cut to the bone, and you cannot, starting in October, you can’t buy Medicare Advantage ’cause it’s been cut. I think the Medicare Advantage cuts commence in October, for those of you who even know what it is, Medicare Advantage. It’ll no longer be allowed. Now, to make you feel even better, Medicare doesn’t have any money. You’ve heard that we have a $16 trillion national debt approaching $17 trillion. Well, part of that is that Medicare’s unfunded liability, meaning the amount of money pledged to qualified recipients now stands at $43 trillion. That’s about three times the size of today’s economy.
A Wall Street Journal article points this out today, a story by John Goodman and Laurence Kotlikoff: “Medicare by the Scary Numbers.” So Obama cut Medicare by $700 billion and then tried to double recount it elsewhere. But remember Romney talking about it all during the campaign, trying to get the low-information voter, “Look, Obama has cut Medicare $500, 700 billion,” whatever it was. Well, the bottom line is that Medicare’s unfunded liability, meaning what is currently pledged to the American people when they hit the age of eligibility for it is $43 trillion. And we don’t have it. The national debt is approaching $17 trillion, the unfunded Medicare liability.
Social Security is in a similar boat. That’s why there’s been all the talk about the need for entitlement reform, which the regime is saying (raspberry) to. Wall Street Journal, not my number, their story. Forty-three trillion unfunded. So the bottom line, get ready for that to be pulled out from under you at any time, and then force you over to some exchange. Anything can happen. That’s why I don’t want to sit here and tell you for sure when you call here, “I’m losing my health coverage at my trucking company in August, what’s gonna happen to me?”
Continue Reading on www.rushlimbaugh.com ...


Read more: http://conservativebyte.com/2013/06/...#ixzz2XL7v42eR