Enroll America adds muscle to O-Care push

An ObamaCare enrollment group with close ties to the White House is launching a final, coordinated push to sign people up for health insurance ahead of the March 31 deadline.

A spokesman for Enroll America told The Hill the prominent nonprofit had grown its pool of volunteers to nearly 20,000, increased its field reach by 35 percent, hired more than 70 new employees since January, and increased its digital advertising budget from $5 million to $7 million for 2014.

{mosads}The group’s “Countdown to Get Covered” will include a bus tour through Texas and Ohio, with stops at events popular with the young, like the SXSW music festival, and more than 3,000 events assisting people with in-person enrollment.

“All of the work that our dedicated staff, volunteers, and partner organizations have done over the past five months has positioned us for success in this critical final stretch,” said Anne Filipic, president of Enroll America. “Thanks to the data we’ve collected, we know what works, and thanks to the huge coalition we have built, we’re ready to leave no stone unturned as we work right up to the deadline.”

Filipic is a veteran of the Obama administration, and a spokeswoman for the group said Enroll America is working closely with Health and Human Services and the White House “to make sure our outreach is well-targeted and effective.”



In many ways, Enroll America’s final push mirrors the Obama administration’s efforts.



Like the White House, the group is partnering with state and local officials and other advocacy groups to micro-target geographic areas and minority groups that have high levels of the uninsured.



“While we aim to reach out to as many consumers as possible, we’re especially targeting our efforts to the communities that stand to benefit the most, including young people, women, and communities of color,” Enroll America spokesman Justin Nisly told The Hill.



The Obama administration is beginning a coordinated, community-based effort to enroll blacks and Hispanics in ObamaCare before the final deadline for 2014. The two minority groups are important to the administration’s enrollment efforts because they make up a disproportionate percentage of the uninsured and tend to skew younger.



Enroll America is also working with the Ad Council on multimedia public service announcements for the Web, television, radio and print. In addition, the group will work with more than 2,200 partner organizations, including Planned Parenthood, MomsRising, Protect Your Care, Organizing for Action and National Congress for Black Women, and with groups participating in events like the National Youth Enrollment Day and Latino Enrollment Summits.



On Tuesday, the administration announced that 4 million people have signed up for ObamaCare. The administration has said repeatedly that it expects a massive influx of enrollees just before the final enrollment deadline.