The California Health Benefit Exchange, Department of Health Care Services (DHCS), and the Managed Risk Medical Insurance Board (MRMIB) of California have been working together to collaborate on the planning and implementation of the Affordable Care Act and the important changes that it will bring.

This collaboration includes developing a marketing and outreach plan to inform Californians about the full range of affordable health coverage that will be available. Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide has been selected to steer the marketing and outreach plan. NORC is conducting research to support Ogilvy as they develop the plan. 

To inform the Exchange’s marketing and outreach plan, NORC will conduct a series of focus groups and in-depth, one-on-one interviews designed to elicit feedback from Californians that are identified as likely to be receptive to the health benefit exchange, as well as those who are less receptive.  These focus groups and interviews will span multiple language, ethnic, economic, and educational groups to ensure that California’s diverse population is well-represented. 

NORC also plans to conduct qualitative research on message/strategy development with small employers.  To validate the conclusions drawn from the completed qualitative message/strategy research, NORC will conduct a market segmentation study that will include a statewide sample of uninsured and individually insured Californians. NORC plans to conduct an audience tracking survey program to assess campaign effectiveness.