The social media scene: Helping the uninsured log on so they can sign up

If you log onto the Facebook page for Covered California, that state's health insurance exchange, you'll be greeted by a glut of status updates encouraging uninsured Californians to sign up for coverage. Exchange officials hope their Facebook page and other social media tools will help ease the confusion caused by early glitches in the state's online enrollment process.

Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Google+ have acted as Covered California's virtual classrooms, as exchange staffers post online content to quickly answer confused consumers' questions about buying health coverage under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Covered California also has used interactive question-and-answer sessions. It has hosted live chats on Facebook, Reddit and CoverItLive, a live-blogging online portal. It also has posted YouTube video interviews with Californians who have successfully enrolled through the exchange.

To counter reports that consumers struggled to enroll online early in October, a Covered California Facebook update from Oct. 17 suggests signing up by phone as an alternative, noting that the process would take less than an hour. The Facebook page boasts nearly 100,000 “likes.”

“We're educating people online, we get comments from the public every single day, and we'll respond to a specific topic that consumers might suggest,” said Roy Kennedy, a spokesman for Covered California. “The goal is to educate each person that comes on and make them feel comfortable that they've received answers.” Nearly 18% of the state's non-elderly population is uninsured, according to the most recent U.S. Census Bureau data.

Social media also enable virtual town-hall style meetings, popular forums for Covered California and other organizations across the country seeking to educate consumers about signing up for insurance through the state and federal insurance exchanges. They provide an easy way for organizers to quickly blast out information about costs, eligibility and other information required to sign up. They also can address qualifications for premium subsidies. Social media increasingly have become a vital component for exchanges and other enrollment-oriented groups to target younger consumers. Signing up a large share of younger and healthier people is considered crucial in holding down premiums for exchange health plans.

Even more established healthcare organizations such as the Kaiser Family Foundation are using social media to get the word out about the healthcare reform law. The foundation drew readers to link to a Q&A section on its website via this tweet: “Can I buy insurance in the marketplace without a green card? Find this & other FAQs on the ACA here.”

For exchanges and other groups trying to sign people up for ACA coverage, social media have the advantage of being accessible to lower-income people who may lack a personal computer at home but often have Internet-enabled smartphones. But they are still no substitute for old-fashioned, face-to-face contact in encouraging people to disclose personal information and pay a premium to get health insurance they may not feel they need—especially Latinos and other minorities who may not trust impersonal online appeals, officials say.

“In terms of the connection, when you're talking to someone in person, on their couch, about their struggles to get access to healthcare, nothing comes close to that,” said Tiffany Hogue, statewide healthcare campaign coordinator for the Texas Organizing Project, a not-for-profit group that seeks to increase healthcare access in Texas, where nearly 25% of the under-65 adult population is uninsured, the highest percentage in the nation according to Census data.

But in a state the size of Texas, reaching rural populations person by person is a daunting task. So Hogue and her staff have turned to social media to deliver their message and help prepare people to sign up through the federally run exchange. Texas is one of 36 states that decided not to offer their own exchanges, so it's relying on the federal online marketplace. They hope to reach both younger and older Texans via social media.

Exchanges and other groups are using social media to inform consumers that they can apply for insurance through the online exchanges, as well as to educate them about the range of health plan options available. Consumers who use social media are already more comfortable with technology, and that comfort level is a boon for organizers. The time consumers spend online getting information about exchange enrollment can make them more comfortable when the time comes to log onto an exchange website or portal and actually sign up, Hogue says. Without that preparation, the exchange sites can be intimidating, especially for older people who aren't computer-savvy.

Hogue and her colleagues steer uninsured Texans to TOP's website, which includes an income eligibility table so visitors can better understand the plans available and the costs involved. The website then points them toward the federal HealthCare.gov site. Unfortunately for thousands of Texans and residents of other states relying on the federal exchange for information and enrollment, the first several weeks have been frustrating as technological glitches and malfunctions have impeded their attempts to enroll.

TOP reported good turnout for two online town halls this year that provided information about the healthcare reform law and guidance on what information will be needed for enrollment.

Similarly, the Colorado Consumer Health Initiative just announced a new exchange plan enrollment campaign in that state utilizing Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr and Pinterest. They've borrowed from the famous “Got Milk?” campaign and will be posting photos of diverse consumers—a mother with her toddler, a mountain climber, a teen sports fanatic and a set of college fraternity brothers. Each photo carries the Twitter hashtag #GotInsurance.

The Colorado initiative's goals are to raise awareness about the state-run exchange and make sure people are prepared to enroll, said Adam Fox, the organization's director of strategic engagement. They're focusing on reaching women, young adults and families. Nearly 14% of the state's population is uninsured, a total of more than 700,000 residents, based on Census data.

Officials at Enroll America, a not-for-profit that is conducting a national awareness campaign around enrollment, has spent $5 million on three months of online advertising and also uses social media. One concept Enroll America is considering is based on Reddit, the website that features users hosting virtual question-and-answer sessions. Users express their opinions and rate submissions by voting them up or down. The votes can help filter out false information being spread on the Internet, while giving credibility to responses provided by experts. Pro-ACA groups see a big need for this type of Internet fact-checking.

Follow Ashok Selvam on Twitter: @MH_aselvam