Video: The YouToons get ready for Obamacare
The Kaiser Family Foundation released a new animated video to help people understand the changes taking place under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) once major parts of the law go into effect in 2014.
"The YouToons Get Ready for Obamacare" (http://bit.ly/14ZBUro) explains the basic changes in the way Americans will get health coverage and what it will cost starting in 2014, whether it’s through their employer, Medicaid, Medicare, or buying insurance on their own with the help of federal tax credits. The new animation is available on kff.org, the foundation’s website, and on YouTube. It can be embedded on other websites.
Written and produced by the foundation, the animated video features narration by Charlie Gibson, former anchor of ABC’s "World News with Charlie Gibson" and a member of the foundation’s Board of Trustees. The video serves as a how-to guide to help viewers understand what benefits they qualify for and what they can do to prepare for open enrollment starting Oct. 1, 2013. At press time, a Spanish-language version of the video also was planned for release.
The animation was developed to inform and educate Americans about what will and will not change under the ACA. The April 2013 Kaiser Health Tracking Poll (http://bit.ly/Zr7rxD) found that many Americans (42%) were unaware that the ACA is still the law of the land, and even more (about half) said they did not have enough information about the health reform law to understand how it would impact their families.
"The reality is that nearly every American will be touched by the Affordable Care Act in ways small and large, and many will face important decisions this fall," said Drew Altman, president of the Kaiser Family Foundation. "This cartoon is meant to demystify a complex law and explain what it means for you, whether you support or oppose Obamacare."
The video is meant to be shared with family and friends and can be linked to numerous social networks via the share buttons on the YouTube video. It can also be featured on other websites, using embeddable code available at kff.org/youtoons-obamacare-video. The YouToons first appeared in "Health Reform Hits Main Street," a 2010 animated video written and produced by the foundation that explained how the health reform law would work, narrated by Cokie Roberts, ABC News and NPR news commentator and a former member of the foundation’s Board of Trustees. A Spanish-language version of the 2010 video is also available online.
"The YouToons Get Ready For Obamacare" is just one of many resources on the foundation’s website to help the American public better understand healthcare reform. Other foundation health reform resources include a health insurance subsidy calculator (http://kff.org/interactive/subsidy-calculator), an interactive ACA implementation timeline (http://kff.org/interactive/implementation-timeline), frequently asked questions (http://kff.org/health-reform/faq/health-reform-frequently-asked-questions), and a 10-question quiz (http://kff.org/quiz/health-reform-quiz) about the law. The foundation will be producing new consumer-friendly informational materials to explain the ACA as implementation of the law proceeds.
