ACA communication intervention: Enrolling young adults in health insurance

Lack of health insurance in the United States has significant health and financial implications for young adults (ages 18-29)—unable to access preventive care, delaying treatment, struggling to pay medical bills, and carrying large medical debts that burdens the entire country. While the Patient Care and Affordable Care Act (ACA) aims to address the issue by extending young adult coverage under eligible parent insurance plans until age 26, increasing access to affordable health insurance plans, and enforcing an individual health insurance enrollment mandate, the majority of Americans remain confused about the law. Political controversies and inaccurate media coverage supersede non-biased information regarding the ACA, leading to much miscommunication. While independent organizations and state/local governments have initiated communication campaigns to address ACA misinformation and encourage young adult enrollment in health insurance, a uniform federal ACA communication campaign does not currently exist.

This intervention proposal combines public health theory with health communication practice to design a national, multi-faceted intervention to increase young adult enrollment in health insurance. Determinants and behaviors of young adults and external agents are identified by critically examining available research literature. A communication intervention is created, integrating the rigorous Intervention Mapping planning approach with real-world health communication strategies and techniques. The end product is a multi-level intervention proposal of carefully constructed messaging, advertisement campaigns, social media elements, and online/print communication tools that the federal government can implement nationally to increase young adult enrollment through new ACA health insurance marketplaces.