The Affordable Care Act
Healthy Young America 2013: The Young Adult Perspective
Presented to Colorado Health Coverage Guides
November 20, 2013
Amy Lin
David Bransfield
Young Invincibles
Young Invincibles
Amy.Lin@younginvincibles.org David.Bransfield@younginvincibles.org
Who are Young Invincibles?
There is an awareness gap
 71% of uninsured 1829 year olds don’t
know of new options
for insurance
 83% of the Medicaid
expansion
population don’t
know of new options
for insurance
Research from Enroll America
Characteristics of Young Adults
 18-34 are those born between
1979-1995
 Largely part of the Millennial
generation (born after 1980)
 We are:
 More ethically & racially diverse
 Less likely to serve in the military
 Most educated
Photo source:http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2010/02/24/millennialsconfident-connected-open-to-change/
Interesting Facts
 Nearly 4-in-10 have a tattoo
 1-in-4 unaffiliated with any
religion
 Parenthood & marriage more
important than financial success
 However, 1-in-5 are married
 34% are young parents
 Events that shaped Millennials:
 9/11
 Hurricane Katrina
 Election of first African
American President
Photo source:
http://rebloggy.com/post/gif-tattoo-tattoo-gif-tattoo-gifs/33981502263
Healingbeings.org
Technologically Wired
 Technology & pop culture sets
Millennials apart from other
generations
 Attitudes towards technology:
 New technology makes life easier
 Brings them closer to friends &
family
 4-in-10 connect to internet wirelessly
 75% have a social media site
 87% sleep with their cell phone on or
right next to their bed
Photo Source: http://www.cbc.ca/q/blog/2011/05/16/jians-essayon-one-thing-at-a-time-day/
Overview
Messaging
Traditional Outreach
Mobile Technology
Social Media
Enrollment
Messages Can be Used to
Motivate “Risk-Takers”
Getting covered will
save you money
Getting covered
now will help ensure
financial security
later
Individual Mandate
will require you to
purchase insurance
Messages Can be Used to Motivate
You can see what
your premium,
deductibles, and outof-pocket costs will
be before you make
a decision to enroll
You can find all the
information you need
about available
health insurance
plans in one place
Young & Uninterested
 71% are uninsured (most have been for 2
years):
 67% are men
 40% are 18-29
 Who motivates them:
 Family member (spouse or mom)
 Friend
 Doctor
 Where do they find info:
 Google or search engine
 Mom, than spouse
Photo source: hartsbeat.com
Use Language Cautiously
Be Careful
Here’s Why
Use This Instead
“Exchange”
People think “Exchange”
is a place to trade or
swap merchandise and
don’t immediately
associate it with health
care.
“Marketplace”
Messages that only
mention “your family”
Single and childless
“Individuals”
people have trouble
identifying with messages
exclusively about “family”
“Financial Assistance
Available”
The concept needs more
exploration. Many
consumers think
“assistance” is for
someone else, not them.
Research from Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
“You may be eligible for
a $0 premium plan or a
new type of tax credit
that lowers your monthly
payment”
Outreach to Communities of Color
 Communities of color
make up the largest
population of uninsured
 Outreach to
communities of color is
key
Who Needs Health Coverage in
Colorado?
Women as Messengers
 Women make 80% of the health
care decisions for American
families
 Uninsured Americans mentioned
important women in their life as
key sources for advice on health
insurance
 Latina and African American
mothers play a significant role in
all aspects of the households—
from health to finances
 Women are more vulnerable to
losing their insurance compared
to men, as they are more likely to
be covered as dependents
Shouting out to:
Moms  Mammas
Madres  Ma
Partners  Friends
Grandma’s
Me-Mas  Abuelas
Traditional Outreach
Group
Presentations
Tabling
Traditional
Outreach
Hosting Events
Brochures and
Newsletters
Traditional Outreach
 Be prepared to have conversations &
tangible information
 Meeting uninsured young adults
where they are:
 Apartment complexes
 Basketball courts
 Classrooms
 Unemployment offices
 Community Colleges
 Barber Shops
 Grocery stores
 Concerts
 Bars
 Laundromats
 K-12 Schools (young parents)
 Where else?
Photo Source: suntimes.com
Swag that Informs
Giveaways that will catch the attention of young adults
Storytelling
 On the ground or online
 A tale shall accomplish something and arrive
somewhere
 Advocacy storytelling is about effectively
communicating this message to the audience
and encouraging them to act
Mobile Technology
Mobile Websites
Text Message
Services
Smart Phones
Social Media
Mobile App
Use Social Media as an Outreach
Tool
 One in five Americans have
reported using social media for
health information
 50% of Facebook users are in
the 18-34 age group
 Young adults value reviews
through social media when
considering goods and services
Communities of Color & Technology
 97% use cell phone for texting
 White, non Hispanic: 52%
 Black, non Hispanic: 79%
 Hispanic: 85%
 77% access internet with their cell
phones
 White, non Hispanic: 52%
 Black, non Hispanic: 60%
 Hispanic: 66%
 Use social networking sites
 White, non Hispanic: 65%
 Black, non-Hispanic: 68%
 Hispanic: 72%
Photo Source: Photo Source:
http://www.forebeyondthegreen.org/3rc.html
Use Effective Methods of Interaction
Listen
Engage
Build Relationships
Google
Alerts
Ask questions
ID Influencers
RSS Readers
Respond in real
time
Share info
Fun and
informative posts
Conversations
Shout outs
Listen
Email address
Engage
 Ask questions:
 Ex: What is the most
confusing thing
about health
insurance?
“If you don’t get health
insurance, you will literally be
paying something for
nothing.”
 Respond to
questions/comments
in quickly
 Fun and engaging
posts 
 Think You’ll Save
Money by Opting out
of Obamacare?
Picture Source: http://www.buzzfeed.com/younginvincibles/think-youllsave-money-by-opting-out-of-obamacare-fnsb
Build Relationships
 Find an “influencer” to share
information
 Sharing stories and/or
information to educate friends
on social media
 Jesse's Story
 Getting the Big Picture on
Affordable Health Care
 Flirting with Death
Photo source: getcoveredamerica.org
Video Source: http://www.getcoveredamerica.org/jesse/
Mobile
Technology
Twitter
Anatomy
Twitter handle
Embedded links
#Hashtags
Share via email
Retweet
Favorite
Engaging Communities of Color in
Social Media
 African Americans use
Twitter more than any
other group:
 In 2012, over 28% of online
African Americans used
Twitter
 “Black Twitter” is the
community where African
Americans discuss both
social and political issues
and news.
 Twitter users were able to
mobilize and move “Black
Twitter” to take action
Picture Source: http://www.buzzfeed.com/shani/the-secret-power-of-black-twitter
Social Media and Engaged
Audiences
Social media is a great
way to specific
audiences who are
already engaged on an
issue
Ex. Monday Night
Football
#MNF #GetCovered
How to create a Meme
 Memes are usually images
with a brief universal
message
 Memes can either be
funny or have a political or
socially conscious message
 Can be created using sites
like Meme Generator and
Adobe Photoshop and
Illustrator
GIFs aka Graphics Interchange
Format
 Gifs are also known as .Gifs
are "Graphics Interchange
Format” - Picture Format
 Websites and Tumblr
pages with easy to share
Gifs
 Mashable Top Gifs
Tumblr pages
 Gif for the Masses
Anatomy of an E blast
Strong Heading
Relevant Image
Concise and powerful
messaging
Organization
name and logo
Social Media link
Clear “Ask”
Elements of E blasts
 Include a captivating subject line
 This will ensure subscribers open your e-blast
 Balance the amount of text and images
 Be sure to create a concise message that clearly displays asks and
engages subscribers
 Link social media pages
 This will help improve your click rate
 Create a simple and mobile friendly layout
 Millions of people use their cell phones to check their emails daily
 Be sure to review the results
 Compare your click and open rates to the industry average in order
accurately gauge the success of your campaign
Mobile Friendly Technology
 It is extremely important to make mobile friendly content
 Now more than ever people use their cell phones to browse
the internet and check emails
 As of May 2013, 63% of adult cell owners use their phones to
go online.
 Over 52% of cell phone owners use their phones to receive
and check emails
 Two ways you can use mobile technology to connect with
young adults
 Mobile sites
 E blasts
Mobile Website
 Unfriendly mobile websites can be
difficult for smartphone users to
display and navigate your page
 For many underserved
populations, smartphones serve as
theirs means to access the internet
 It is relatively affordable to create
or convert your current website
into a mobile-friendly site.
 You can use tools like
Mobify,
Mofuse, MobiSiteGalore
and Wirenode.
Photo Source: getlocalgetlisted.com
Young Invincibles Mobile App:
Your Health Care Finder
 Find doctors and
Community Health Centers
in your area
 Search by location with GPS
or zip code
 Search by name or
category
 Shows user ratings of
doctors in the area
Your Questions Answered
 How to find health insurance
for different people
 Explains the health care law
 Defines common health
insurance terms
A National Campaign to Cover
Young Adults
 Calendar of
Upcoming Trainings
 Download our App:
“Your Health Care
Finder”
 State-by-State Fact
Sheets
 FAQs: Answers for
Consumers and
Advocates
 Outreach Materials
 Webinars
 Toolkits
Health.younginvincibles.org
Keep in Touch
 Like us on
Facebook
 Follow us @YI_Care
Contact Information:
http://younginvincibles.org/
Amy Lin - Amy.Lin@younginvincibles.org
David Bransfield – David.Bransfield@younginvincibles.org