Ad Campaign To Better Explain Subsidies To Uninsured
As the third open enrollment period is about to begin on Nov. 1, this past week Sylvia Matthews Burwell of the Obama administration announced that it would begin a nationwide grassroots campaign, including television ads, to reach out to the estimated 10.5 million Americans across the country who have not signed up for healthcare coverage yet or have let their coverage lapse to encourage and help better understand how they can get insured.
Of those 10.5 million uninsured about forty percent are what Sylvia Matthews Burwell, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, called the “young invincibles” people who are between the ages of 18 to 34, earning between thirty to sixty thousand dollars a year for a family of four. Out of which, according to Burwell and government analysis, eight out of ten “young invincibles” would qualify for the subsidies to help pay for their health insurance.
How This Will Help You
The ads will encourage people to comparison shop in the health insurance market place, whether they have insurance, had insurance, or have never been insured. The goal is, trying to clearly get the message across that most people will qualify for the federal and marketplace subsidies available to lower income consumers. And also that by shopping around, even people who have insurance now, can still get assistance or better prices and coverage. The shop around message is one that many Americans have not understood, including those on Medicare and Medicaid.
The hope of this grassroots effort is to do a better job to explain to the people how the subsidies in the marketplace can work for them, and are relying on the help of nonprofits, online facilitator businesses that help put customers with the right insurance companies to find the best plans for your health insurance needs or other government agencies to get the message across, “window shop”. Also helping people understanding the best possible coverage for you may not mean the lowest monthly premium necessarily; the impartial facilitator can guide you to the right companies to help you find the best plan and how much assistance you’ll get from the subsidy.
Obama’s Goal
It would seem the overall aim of the ad campaign is to make clear to consumers that most people who sign up for insurance through the government website can “qualify for financial help to make coverage more affordable.” In her speech, Sylvia Matthews Burwell, the Secretary of Health and Human Services said, “We still have work to do to bring access to affordable, quality health insurance to all Americans. But we’re getting closer to that goal. By working smarter in this Open Enrollment, we can ensure the next generation of Americans has a health care system that works better for everyone.” It would seem the overall aim of the ad campaign is to make clear to consumers that most people who sign up for insurance through the government website can “qualify for financial help to make coverage more affordable.”
Helping You Understand How the Subsidies Help Pay Much of The Cost
President Obama wants to help educate consumers too. According to the government’s analysis of the 18 to 34 year olds more than a third are minorities, the racial makeup being approximately 19 percent Hispanic, 14 percent are African-American and 2 percent are of Asian ethnicity, (5 percent of the total 40 percent are white). Males make up 57 percent of the combined groups. Nearly sixty percent either don’t know that the subsidies are available to them or are confused about how the subsidy tax credits work. Ms. Burwell is quoted as saying, “Affordability is a big issue in terms of how people make decisions.” Therefore, when the uninsured are more informed they make better choices for themselves and their families. The administration is expecting this grassroots initiative will help many to enroll, “Financial literacy is important,” said Ms. Burwell.
Informing People About What Happens if You Don’t Get Insured
The ads will also be explaining that people who do not get insured during this open enrollment for 2016 will be facing even stiffer penalties. The penalties for 2016 will be $695.00 per uninsured adult or 2.5 percent of the household income (whichever is greater) which will be deducted directly from your income tax return. This year’s penalty
is $325.00 per uninsured adult or 2 percent of the household income. As more of the Obamacare initiatives go into effect in the coming years the penalties will continue to rise as well.
Conclusion
Don’t miss this year’s open enrollment. There is plenty of non-biased help to aid you in understanding how the subsidies will assist greatly in paying for your needs in healthcare insurance, help you figure out which plans are best suited to you and your family’s own personal healthcare situation, pocketbook and exactly how the subsidies can work for you. Don’t get stuck with a hefty fine from the IRS in your tax return, enroll today.
