States air health exchange television ads

Despite delays in the implementation of certain aspects of the Affordable Care Act, many states are moving forward with plans to open enrollment for their health exchanges and help users shop for and purchase insurance coverage.

While developing the online marketplaces has required a significant investment, many states are realizing the need to fund extensive outreach initiatives aimed at educating individuals and employers about the ACA and insurance exchanges.

As of April, roughly 40 percent of Americans were still unaware that the ACA is still law, according to a study conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation. With many people unsure of how healthcare reform affects them, states are challenged to reach large populations effectively.

To accomplish this, several states operating their own exchanges have decided to air commercials on television to spread the message. Kaiser Health News reported Kentucky and Connecticut are among the states that have produced such ads. 

In an interview with the source, a marketing executive noted that each ad features its state’s specific characteristics and avoids generalizations about healthcare reform.

Access Health, Connecticut’s benefits exchange, will reportedly air commercials in both English and Spanish, the Connecticut News Project stated.

Kaiser explained many of the ads are targeted at people who’ve likely attempted to acquire coverage before but either changed their minds because of high costs or were denied insurance.