Consumers on the Verge
Communications Tips on Consumers Protections (Rate + Medical Loss Ratio)
Goal: To boost support for the Affordable Care Act to a solid majority among voters and to connect the law with the bigger theme/story of our nation’s priorities.
Objective: To inform, persuade, and mobilize persuadable populations and our base.
Topic: Consumers are on the verge of gaining significant protections from an insurance industry that has put profits before service and bonuses before health care.
Narrative: With passage of the Affordable Care Act disgruntled consumers finally have relief from an insurance industry that has rigged the game in its favor. Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, middle class families now have consumer protections and services that support their health. That is unless extremist politicians, many in the pocket of big corporations like insurers, have their way and eliminate the law’s protections—protections like no more denials due to pre-existing conditions, no more unfair premium hikes, and no more spending too much of our premium dollars on industry advertising and CEO bonuses rather than on our health care.
Communications Strategies:
- The Affordable Care Act protects consumers from industry greed and unfair practices—this message moves ‘persuadable’ populations (working women; seniors; Latinos; and under 40 year olds) in support of the law and also connects with our base. Use it.
- Protections the public values most include: ends denials due to pre-existing conditions; ends dropping people when they get sick; ends lifetime caps. Use these as examples.
- The public isn’t familiar with terms ‘rate review’ or ‘medical loss ratio,’ however, when defined the public supports these protections. Simplify what these terms mean (see messaging section) and use to show how broadly the ACA works to protect consumers. Also, that these protections are controlled/guaranteed on the state level.
- Use messaging that triggers peace of mind, a sense of control, fairness, and respect.
- Use passion with strong supporters/base by emphasizing the excessive greed of the insurance industry. Help make them front-line cheerleaders for the law.
- Express outrage. If opponents say repeal/bankrupt the law, remind people: “That would be going back to the days when insurance companies were in control and denied coverage to survivors of cancer; or raised our premiums without justification—even during horrible economic times when they were one of the only industries still experiencing skyrocketing profits; and continually increased the percentage of our coverage dollars being spent on their bonuses rather than on our health care.”
Messages that Work:
Broad Protection:
The Affordable Care Act protects families by ensuring we can’t be denied insurance due to a pre-existing condition, or lose our coverage or be forced into bankruptcy when someone gets sick. It also requires that members of Congress get their healthcare coverage from the same plans as millions of Americans. With Middle Americans struggling and fewer jobs offering good health benefits, it’s more important than ever to protect families and make sure the insurance industry is responsible and fair.
Rate Review: Why should consumers care?
Recently double-digit increases in health insurance premiums for individuals and small businesses became subject to review and possible rejection by state regulators. The review of rate hikes, a consumer protection guaranteed by the Affordable Care Act, assures that premium increases are reasonable. Even in the worst of economic times, the insurance industry’s profits have continued to skyrocket. Rate review will finally bring some fairness and transparency to an industry that until now has flatly refused to tell us their justifications for hiking premiums. Regulators will take action to protect our families and control ‘unreasonable’ rate increases.
Rate Review: Campaigning for a state rate review law.
States can play a pivotal role in holding down health insurance premiums and protecting middle-class families and small business owners who are struggling. It’s more important than ever to help working families afford quality health insurance. A strong state rate review law will bring more transparency to the insurance industry and give state regulators the authority and resources to assure all premium increases are justified and fair.
Or-
(Name of your state) rate review law will protect our citizens by improving transparency around rate filings, giving our state regulators the power to modify or reject an excessive rate hike, and improving consumer notice and involvement in the rate review process. This consumer law is built on competition and fairness, assuring us more control and more affordable coverage.
Rate Review: What is the government’s role?
The Affordable Care Act gives states new powers to review double-digit increases in premiums. For the last few years these increases have been hammering hardworking individuals and small business owners. State regulators will now start taking action to control ‘unreasonable’ rate hikes and help bring transparency to an industry that for too long pointed the finger of blame elsewhere while flatly refusing to openly justify their premium increases.
Medical Loss Ratio: What is it?
The Medical Loss Ratio, an important element of the Affordable Care Act, is just a fancy term for requiring health insurance companies to spend more of your health care dollars on your health care and less on their excessive profits, advertising, and CEO bonuses.
Inoculate Against Attacks:
We can anticipate additional attacks on the Affordable Care Act and strong opposition from the insurance industry on rate review and medical loss ratio. Get a jump start on laying the rationale for consumer protections and then push back on the industry.
Example of Inoculating Against Bankrupting the Affordable Care Act:
The Affordable Care Act focuses on prevention and protections in our health care. Now we have consumer protections and services that support families—unless extremists get their way and eliminate the law’s benefits and protections. That would mean going back to the days when insurance companies were in control and denied coverage to survivors of cancer, raised our premiums without justification, and continually increased the percentage of our coverage dollars being spent on their bonuses rather than on our health care.
Example of Inoculating Against Rate Review Attack:
The health insurance industry absolves itself of any responsibility for constantly rising premiums and instead points the finger of blame at ‘greedy’ doctors and ‘irresponsible’ citizens. Yet even in the worst of economic times the industry’s profits continue to soar. Rate review will finally bring some fairness and transparency to an industry that until now has flatly refused to tell us why they keep hiking our premiums. If they have nothing to hide, insurers should embrace rate review as an opportunity to present evidence to back up their claims.
Example of Inoculating Against Medical Loss Ratio Attacks:
The health insurance industry absolves itself of any responsibility for constantly rising premiums and instead points the finger of blame at ‘greedy’ doctors and ‘irresponsible’ citizens. Yet even in the worst of economic times the industry’s profits continue to soar, CEO bonuses continue to leave us flabbergasted, and insurance advertising dollars continue to flow. Too many of our hard earned health coverage dollars are currently being spent on things other than our health care. No more. The Affordable Care Act requires 70 cents of every one of our dollars must be spent on our health care and not invested in the industry’s profits.
|
Home | About | Resources | Links | Search | Contact