Explaining the State Insurance Exchanges in Seven Minutes

July 30, 2013

I came across this video from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation and thought "This is exactly the kind of content medical practices can use for their website and social media content." In this seven-minute video, the "YouToons" learn how healthcare reform will affect them by placing consumers into one of four insurance categories: employer covered, government covered, privately insured, and privately uninsured.

The video is a straightforward, approachable overview of a complicated subject, and would make a fantastic post on the website of a physician or medical office. Even providers without a website could educate patients by posting this link to Facebook or Twitter, or by including it in an email newsletter. My partner Abraham wrote a primer on talking to patients and staff about reform last July, but this video is even simpler, and is everyone's favorite - an entertaining movie! It even has clickable icons inside the video for calculating premiums and finding out the status of health insurance exchanges by state.

Why is a video like this a great piece of content to share with your patients and readers? Here are three reasons:

Reason #1 - This is high-quality content, from a high-quality source.

The Kaiser Family Foundation is a non-profit, non-partisan healthcare research organization "dedicated to filling the need for trusted, independent information on the major health issues facing our nation and its people."

This is not from a political advocacy group or a campaign committee. It's critical that the quality of the information you share with consumers has the ability to positively impact their healthcare experience - whether it is satisfaction, financial or outcome-based. Regardless of whether you are for or against Obamacare, you need to stay focused on presenting factual information from strong reputable sources. You wouldn't take professional or medical advice from just anyone, so don't share just anything.

Reason #2 - This is actionable, in-demand information.

There is no shortage of noise on the internet about any given subject, let alone healthcare reform. Your patients (and staff) have questions! They are looking now for answers, and if you step up, you have a serious opportunity to expand and strengthen your relationship with them. Guiding patients through difficult subjects is what providers have always done, and using the internet to do this more efficiently at scale is a natural extension of the doctor-patient relationship.

If patients don't get the information from you passively via a website or social media connection, there's a good chance they might call the office, or ask about it at your next appointment. I am sure you are happy to help with that, but it is not your core business, is it? Getting the word out preemptively can cut your costs as well as improving your brand.

Reason #3 - This is a low-impact way to reach healthcare consumers.

Blogging and creating social media content does not have to mean going outside of your comfort zone or hiring new people. It is as simple as finding great stuff, sharing great stuff, and using great stuff as a jumping off point for critical conversations with your stakeholders. You don't have to animate or record anything, but your authority as a practice (and the Kaiser Foundation's) means your panel can trust your info. Posts from providers or executives are great - but also time consuming, and not everyone is comfortable or in the habit of putting a few hundred words on a page for public consumption.

With a great, informative video like this you don't have to reinvent the wheel to reach your patients.

Partners Mary Pat Whaley and Abraham Whaley are Physician Advocates and Consultants who blog at Manage My Practice; their LinkedIn Group by the same name is for those interested in healthcare management. You can contact Mary Pat at marypat@managemypractice.com.

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