Federal notices about ACA enrollment season get cut in number and messaging
Source: Washington Post
Health & Science
Federal notices about ACA enrollment season get cut in number and messaging
By Amy Goldstein November 1 at 2:10 PM
In preparation for the Affordable Care Act’s latest enrollment season, the Trump administration sent notices about the sign-up options to millions of fewer Americans than in past years and deleted themes known to be most effective in motivating consumers to sign up. ... Emails went only to people with current health plans through marketplaces created under the law, leaving out most of the names in a database of about 20 million consumers who once had such coverage or at some point explored the federal website HealthCare.gov.
The greatly reduced outreach is reflected in a set of internal documents obtained by The Washington Post, which also shows a sharp change in the tone and content of the messaging ahead of Wednesday’s sign-up start.
For example, a Nov. 1, 2016, email to current enrollees about the start of that sign-up period said: “New, better or more affordable plans may be available to you. .?.?. You could save money by switching to a new plan.” It urged consumers to “find the coverage that best meets your needs and budget.” ... A parallel notice emailed late last week removed any mention of affordability, potential money savings or shopping for other health plans. Instead, it simply listed the enrollment season’s start and end dates, telling recipients that this year’s period is shorter and that they “can confirm, change or update” a plan.
The unannounced changes in emails are the latest manifestation of a multi-pronged effort by the Trump administration to undercut the insurance exchanges created by the 2010 law that the president remains eager to repeal. The cutback in communication and content coincides with federal health officials’ move in late August to slash government spending on advertising and other outreach strategies for the ACA marketplaces by 90 percent — from $100 million to $10 million.
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Amy Goldstein is The Washington Post’s national health-care policy writer. During her 30 years at The Post, her stories have taken her from homeless shelters to Air Force One, often focused on the intersection of politics and public policy. She is the author of the book, Janesville: An American Story. Follow @goldsteinamy
Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/federal-notices-about-aca-enrollment-season-get-cut-in-number-and-messaging/2017/11/01/e0eeb872-bf16-11e7-97d9-bdab5a0ab381_story.html
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