Context: Current facts about the Affordable Care Act (ACA)
On 23rd March 2010, the ACA was signed into law. It introduces health care reforms with an objective of improving the affordability, accessibility, and quality of health care. The ACA has helped more Americans to have accessibility to affordable health insurance. Medicaid has been expanded to reach the entire population (Protection & Act 48). Through the expansion, small employers who are committed to cover their employees are provided with tax incentives, and persons willing to pay for insurance are also provided with tax credits. Furthermore, the health care industry has been reformed to reduce the higher costs of health care. The higher earners are highly taxed, and the opening and revamping of state-based health insurances exchanges have become very popular.
Mission
We promote a high-quality health care system that guarantees better health care, accessibility, and improved health
Goals
Objectives
Make health care coverage more secure for the insured persons, and make the uninsured subscribe for extended affordable coverage
Reduce the high costs of health care through promoting high-value, and effective care
Ensure the youth as a vulnerable population access quality, and culturally competent health care
Target Audiences
The target audience for the health care advocacy plan will be young people who are in the 27-35 years old range.
The advocacy plan will also target the health insurance companies and health care practitioners who are focused on improving the quality of health care.
Key Messages (at least three). How can your messages effect and advance your mission and goals?
The ACA expands the health care coverage options for young adults
As long as we can remember, the health care system in the United States has always failed to cover the young adults. The rates of uninsured adults have been increasing at alarming rates. Most of the young people had been neglected by health care because of the high costs. With the introduction of the ACA, a lot of things will change. Young people will access health care insurance because of its affordability. Medicaid has also been expanded to cover the most vulnerable populations including low-income earners (Sommers, Benjamin et al 170). The ACA also allowed young people to be covered under their parent’s medical schemes until they reach 26 years. At 27, most of the young people have jobs and can easily access health insurance.
Young adults will find affordable health care options on the new health care exchanges
The ACA introduces financial and consumer protections that guarantee reduced costs of health care. In the end, the health and wellness of the population are improved. Both the low and middle-income individuals will access financial assistance. Tax credits and cost-sharing subsidies are offered, and they lessen the out-of-pockets costs for all health care benefits that are covered. The ACA proceed further to include the out-of-pocket limits that are friendly to people with low income. The young people will also benefit because most of the preventive services that are highly demanded by the youth are covered at no cost.
Expand coverage
ACA supports state-based health care exchanges to a great extent. They create insurance marketplaces that are affordable to the population. As a result, the uninsured young people will afford the coverage without many struggles. Eligible persons will obtain any assistance they need to help them acquire the coverage. The competitive insurance marketplaces will increase the flexibility of states, and the preferences and needs of the population will be met. Patients’ outcome will be improved because of the enhanced quality of care.
Strategies and tactics. How will you involve the media? How will you reach the target audience? What delivery channels best fit them?
I will involve the media in the health care advocacy plan in various ways. First, I will engage the young people through social media platform. A high number of youths are always active on social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. I will use these platform to create awareness concerning the benefits of ACA. Nonetheless, I will create a Facebook group and add young people in it where opinions and thought concerning ACA will be shared. During the episodes of interactions, I will formulate and share potential stories that will change the perception of the target audience. Later, I will invite them for the health awareness campaign so that they can learn more about the ACA and the benefits accrued. Apart from using social media platforms, I will also print campaign banners and place them at strategic points like institutions of learning, entertainment places, and at workplaces. In the end, the message will reach a large target audience.
How will the campaign results be measured and evaluated? How will you assess and monitor whether your messages worked?
Administering questionnaires will measure the campaign results to the participants of the health campaign. The survey will gather data and information that will be used to evaluate if the campaign changed the perceptions of the young people about the benefits of ACA. If the campaign led to a positive impact, most of the young people that participated in the process would be willing to acquire health care insurance as described in the Act.
Work cited
Protection, P., & Act, A. C. (2010). Patient protection and affordable care act. Public Law, 111, 48.
Sommers, Benjamin D., et al. "The Affordable Care Act has led to significant gains in health insurance and access to care for young adults." Health affairs 32.1 (2013): 165-174.
