Countdown to

2014: Covering the

Affordable Care

Act

Sarah Kliff, The Washington Post

Where we are right now

The Affordable

Care Act focuses

on enrolling the

uninsured

(purple) and

individual

market (red)

buyers into new

health law

programs.

Key estimates going forward

The big number for 2014: 7 million

The Congressional Budget Office has projected

7 million Americans will enroll in private

health plans in 2014.

The White House believes that, of those 7

million people, 2.7 million will need to be

young adults between 18 and 35.

The 2013 exchange timeline

August: Outreach efforts

mount; legislators go to

their home districts

October 1!

July: Awareness

efforts build slowly September: The push for

outreach hits its high point

"I wish we had one more year" -Kevin Counihan, executive director, Health Access CT

“In 2011, there was this ‘we’re going to save the world’ mentality.' In

2013, it focuses more on ‘How do we deliver on the requirements of the

law?’” - Rebecca Pearce, executive director, Maryland Health Benefits Exchange

Challenge #1: Lack of awareness

Challenge #2: Cost of premiums

Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Challenge #3: Medicaid expansion

Challenge #3: Medicaid expansion

“How do you explain this in a way that seems fair and reasonable, that the higher-income people get help but you

don’t? Advocates on the ground are really struggling with that

group." - Mike Perry,

PerryUndem Strategies

Challenge #4: Opposition

The White House's enrollment

strategy: Focus on young adults

“What do we know about them? They’re overwhelmingly

male. They’re majority nonwhite. One out of every three

lives in California, Florida or Texas." - David Simas, White House deputy senior advisor for strategy and communications

Six key enrollment players

• The White House

• Enroll America

• State insurance marketplaces

• Health and Human Services

• Anti-Obamacare groups

• State health agencies

What will outreach look like?

Anything from Port-a-Potties to commercials

to sunscreen giveaways.

Every day matters

There are

63 days

left until October 1.

Each one counts.