Outreach Lessons From the States: Using video to your advantage!

With the deadline to enroll in federal and state marketplaces (for coverage beginning January 1, 2014) approaching on December 23rd, we know that our partners are working tirelessly to reach out to and enroll consumers in health coverage.  In recognition of this important and historical moment, this blog is part of a series to bring attention to innovative outreach and enrollment strategies around the country. We hope that Outreach Lessons from the States, which will share a new strategy every day this week, will energize our partners and inspire creative outreach practices for reaching consumers as ACA enrollment continues. 

In the age of YouTube, Vine and Instagram, it’s never been easier to speak directly to your target audiences through video… We’re excited to profile activities in three states that created videos to promote enrolling in health care marketplaces. While video production has traditionally been an expensive undertaking and out of reach for many non-profits, with the help of social media, YouTube and a little creativity, advocates are getting their messages out in easy, affordable ways.

• Virginia Consumer Voices for Healthcare developed a brief, animated video message about enrolling in new health insurance coverage. In less than 60 seconds, this PSA included specific messages to various audiences – families, women, and people with pre-existing conditions.
• UHCAN Ohio also developed a PSA that’s approximately 1 minute in length. To better reach their audiences, they created culturally-specific versions – one for African- Americans and one for Latinos.  
• Consumers for Affordable Health Care in Maine developed a three-minute whiteboard presentation on why and how to enroll in the Maine marketplace. Using a simple, hand-drawn approach, this message seems to be resonating. According to one viewer, “I am a well-educated 49 year old trying to figure out healthcare for my family. Your video although simple was exactly what I needed to understand the issues at hand. Thank you for taking the time to make this video…it really is a great public service.” The video also garnered the attention of Wendell Potter, who recently wrote a blog on Huffington Post about this great education tool. 

If you’re thinking about developing your own ACA-related enrollment visuals or video, here are some resources that can help:

• The NC Justice Center’s “Video Training Manual for Advocacy Organizations” guides nonprofit advocacy groups in developing brief videos. The manual provides technical advice and explores the different objectives advocacy groups can achieve using this powerful new tool. 
• Pennsylvania Health Access Network’s Lives on the Line Campaign was developed for a Medicaid-expansion campaign, however this photo format could easily be used to promote outreach and enrollment messages. Check out the Lives on the Line toolkit for tips.

Are you working on video education? We’d love to hear about it. Please contact Erica at estreitkaplan@communitycatalyst.org.