© 2024 Connecticut Public

FCC Public Inspection Files:
WEDH · WEDN · WEDW · WEDY · WNPR
WPKT · WRLI-FM · WEDW-FM · Public Files Contact
ATSC 3.0 FAQ
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Connecticut, like other states, launched an online health exchange -- Access Health CT -- where residents can shop for and purchase health insurance. There could be new opportunities for the unemployed or uninsured to receive health insurance. Here, we gather our coverage of changes under the new federal law.

Open Enrollment for Affordable Care Act Begins This Week

Access Health CT

Open enrollment for the second year of the Affordable Care Act begins this Saturday. By the state's calculations, the first year of Obamacare cut the number of uninsured in Connecticut in half. Of those who remain, remove the roughly 70,000 people who won't ever enroll in health insurance, and that leaves about another 70,000 to go. 

Jason Madrak is the chief marketing officer at Access Health CT.

"The big takeaway for us last year was that the uninsured were really pocketed in a couple of key large cities, as you might expect," he said.  "And, after our efforts last year, that phenomenon is even more so."

So, his efforts are focused on ten towns -- many of them clustered around Hartford, New Haven, and Bridgeport. The people he's trying to reach tend to be younger, male, and of Hispanic or African American descent. But they are also harder to reach -- they don't necessarily read the big daily newspapers or watch mainstream TV.  So, this year, Madrak is focusing on community newspapers, TV, and radio ads.

"We've dialed up some of those more locally-focused efforts while we've dialed down some of the broader efforts," he said.  

But reaching potential customers is only the first half of the job. The second half is figuring out what to tell them. One emphasis is on affordability. Here's a barber in a TV ad.

Barber: Do you have health insurance?

Customer: No, I can't afford it.

Barber: Now you can, with Access Health CT, since you may qualify for help to pay for your coverage. Getting health insurance should be a priority, and there's free help available.

That last point -- the free help -- is the second focus Madrak wants to drive home. Still, a woman in a focus group showed him that even his best messaging won't work with everyone.

"We talked to her at length and she said, 'Listen, I save everything that you guys sent me, I have actually a box of postcards and letters that you sent me because it has the phone number on it and I wanted to save it,'" Madrak recalled.  "And we said, 'Did you call?' And she said, 'No, I never called.' And we said, 'But you saved it all.' And she said, 'I know, I knew it was important, I just never got around to actually doing it.' So, it becomes a big challenge."

The challenge begins again this Saturday. Open enrollment lasts three months.

Jeff Cohen started in newspapers in 2001 and joined Connecticut Public in 2010, where he worked as a reporter and fill-in host. In 2017, he was named news director. Then, in 2022, he became a senior enterprise reporter.

Stand up for civility

This news story is funded in large part by Connecticut Public’s Members — listeners, viewers, and readers like you who value fact-based journalism and trustworthy information.

We hope their support inspires you to donate so that we can continue telling stories that inform, educate, and inspire you and your neighbors. As a community-supported public media service, Connecticut Public has relied on donor support for more than 50 years.

Your donation today will allow us to continue this work on your behalf. Give today at any amount and join the 50,000 members who are building a better—and more civil—Connecticut to live, work, and play.

Related Content