WASHINGTON -- Willie Sutton supposedly said he robbed banks because that's where the money is. As the Obama administration tries to firm up the health care law, officials are going deep into Texas because, they argue, that's where the uninsured are. <\/p>\n
A bold play in the second most-populous state is critical for the administration to make another big dent in the ranks of those without health care coverage. With few Texas leaders supporting the health care law, the state's uninsured rate barely budged during the first open enrollment period. By the middle of 2014, it stood at 24 percent -- the worst in the country. <\/p>\n
But Texas isn't just an inviting playing field for health care advocates. It's also an opportunity to send a powerful political message that a law much maligned by Republicans could succeed in a state run by them. With these high stakes, Obama administration officials plan heavy outreach. <\/p>\n
The primary focus will be on the state's biggest cities: Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston and San Antonio. Federal officials have teamed up with mayors and local officials. They've also struck alliances with businesses. The grocery chain H-E-B, for instance, has agreed to host navigators in its stores on weekends to expand the number of people exposed to the insurance market. <\/p>\n
The map looks very similar,\" said Marlon Marshall, who as special assistant to the president and principal deputy director of public engagement is tasked with Obamacare outreach. \"The demographics look very similar. But we are just taking what we learned from last year and going deeper on both. <\/p>\n
The administration's game plan for Texas is a microcosm of its approach to the second year of Obamacare enrollment. Unlike last year, when officials were playing catch-up following the disastrous launch of healthcare.gov, this year the White House has the luxury of refining a strategy getting individuals re-enrolled and signing up the uninsured. <\/p>\n
In an interview with the Huffington Post, Marshall outlined a plan that's best described as health care micro-targeting. Beyond figuring out where the uninsured live and knocking on their doors, officials will target folks where they shop, pray, read and congregate. They have pinpointed the most persuasive messages, elevated the most convincing messengers, and optimized their timing. <\/p>\n
Some reports, for instance, have noted how little flash has accompanied the start of the second enrollment period. But that, officials said, is by design. They want to grab headlines when people are most likely to sign up: Opening day, the first two weeks in December (when people get coverage so they have it at the start of 2015), and before the enrollment period ends in mid-February. <\/p>\n
President Barack Obama will kick off open enrollment in his weekly radio address on Saturday, an aide said. <\/p>\n
The micro-targeting is much more than geographic. The administration also plans to enhance its outreach to Hispanic populations, where the uninsured rate remains high. Last year, 10 percent of the administration's ad budget focused on Latino outreach. This year, it's around 30 percent. <\/p>\n
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Inside Obama's Plan To Beat Health Care Enrollment Expecations<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" WASHINGTON -- Willie Sutton supposedly said he robbed banks because that's where the money is. As the Obama administration tries to firm up the health care law, officials are going deep into Texas because, they argue, that's where the uninsured are. Continue reading