One of the most vexing issues in the Affordable Care Act's implementation is making the individual mandate work with a robust market -- and a large part of that means getting so-called "young invincibles" to buy insurance.
Marketing to those young people will be a major challenge for health insurance exchanges and health plans, and a task that a few inside and outside the industry may be able to offer some insights on at the 2013 AHIP Institute in Las Vegas, in a session on consumer education.
For a lot of 20- and 30-somethings who don't have employer-based insurance, the individual market may be showing them some high prices at first glance, and they may not necessarily think (or even know) that they need to buy insurance or face a tax penalty.
Although those prices will be brought down by federal premium support subsidies to offer consumers costs commensurate with their incomes, there are still a few skeptical industry observers who think some young people may find it financially irrational to buy insurance -- say for those who whose annual medical needs might only be a well-visit with an internist.
The challenge is reaching them, and more than that convincing them that they need insurance for their own health and that it can be affordable.
At a session on Wednesday, June 12, on HIX consumer education, Avalere Health's senior advisor John Kaelin and Kaiser Foundation Health Plan's senior counsel Erica D. Pham will offer a range of ideas on market-worthy branding to young people -- what messaging works (and what may not), what media channels are likely good investments and the strategies currently being used to engage young people?
Meanwhile, Amy Lin, deputy policy and organizing director of Young Invincibles, will bring some youth perspectives on insurance, from a group has been representing 18 to 34 year-olds in the national healthcare debate since 2009.
Eighteen to 34 year-olds is a large and varying demographic, though -- and HIXs, insurers and outreach groups will likely have to create several different marketing strategies for different population segments.