Health care law campaign will focus on urban areas
WASHINGTON — Wanted: Millions of uninsured Americans willing to give President Barack Obama’s health care law a chance.
With time running out, it may not be so hard for the administration and its allies to find them. A University of Minnesota study finds that the uninsured aren’t scattered evenly across the country: Half of them live in just 116 of the nation’s 3,143 counties.
That means outreach efforts targeted to select areas can pay off big, reaching millions of prospective customers needed to stabilize the law’s new insurance markets.
The pattern also holds true for the younger uninsured, the health care overhaul’s most coveted demographic. The study found that half of the uninsured people ages 19-39 live in 108 counties. Their premiums are needed to offset the cost of care for older adults.
Enrollment ends March 31 for subsidized private insurance, available to people who don’t have coverage at work. But many who could benefit are procrastinating. Some people are confused by the new law. Others don’t think they will qualify for help.
“Our efforts are aimed at making sure we can raise awareness in areas with the largest concentration of uninsured people,” said Julie Bataille, communications director for the rollout at the federal Health and Human Services Department.
In the outreach campaign, Washington is largely steering clear of states that are leading their own sign-up efforts, such as California, New York and Illinois.
