Button in Toolbar to Toggle Playlist.Obamacare Supporters Feel the Fear
Obamacare supporters are unleashing a massive public relations campaign, turning to political networks and sports teams to help them sell the new law to a skeptical public. For the Affordable Care Act to succeed in expanding the ranks of the insured, many of the 30 million currently uninsured need to purchase an insurance plan in the new exchanges the law sets up. But advocates worry that it could be difficult to convince people to sign up for coverage. The WSJ reports:
According to backers of the law, enrollment faces big obstacles as polls and focus groups suggest a majority of uninsured people aren’t aware of the new coverage options or the availability of subsidies toward the cost of health insurance premiums. Many respondents also say they have had bad experiences with finding health insurance or paying medical debts.
“This is a very skeptical audience,” said Rachel Klein of Enroll America, a nonprofit group set up by the founding members of Families USA, a group that campaigned for the law’s passage.
While Enroll America is relying on door-to-door grassroots political action to build support for enrollment, other states are using celebrity power to improve Obamacare’s brand. But the law faces bigger problems than bad branding and a lack of awareness.
It might seem odd that the law’s supporters should need to convince Americans to purchase a plan, given that those who don’t will be taxed. But the tax will be less expensive than the cost of coverage. The minimum tax per person will be $695 per year. Higher earning individuals will have to pay more: a couple who makes $100,000 per year, for example, will be taxed around $2,025. That may sound like a lot, but the CBO estimates that the annual premiums for the least-expensive plan offered under the new law would reach about $12,000 for a family and about $5,000 for an individual (all figures can be found here).
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