Few changes in the healthcare industry have altered history as much as the Affordable Care Act. Prior to the ACA, it was the HIPAA laws that had medical professionals scrambling for the correct information to show them how to get compliant with the new digital storage laws. But the ACA affects everyone from patients to doctors and that is why your site needs to take advantage of the desperate need the public and medical profession has for accurate Obamacare information.
The ACA Has Already Reached Millions Of People
The Obamacarefacts.com website estimates that 15 million Americans who were previously uninsured have used the federal insurance exchange at HealthCare.gov to get insurance. This brings the percentage of uninsured Americans down to 13.4 percent from 18 percent. Of these 15 million people, seven million have signed up for 2015 already. The HealthCare.gov website is getting plenty of attention and you need to offer the right information to capitalize on the needs of the people.
Medicaid Is A Huge Topic Of Discussion
Part of the ACA involves allowing states to decide whether or not to extend Medicaid benefits to low income and elderly residents. Some states have chosen not to expand Medicaid, while other states have been very dynamic in expanding their Medicaid programs.
Anyone who makes less than 139 percent over the federal poverty line (a number that changes every year) may be eligible for Medicaid. If your healthcare website wants to drive more traffic, then you need to include resources that help people to determine whether or not they qualify for Medicaid in their state and what kind of Medicaid programs are available to them.
Tax Breaks Are Important
One of the reasons that so many low and middle income families panicked when they heard that they would have to buy healthcare or face a tax penalty was the fear of not being able to pay the premiums. It is a fear that routinely sends millions of people to the Internet in search of answers, and it is a fear that you must use to drive your website traffic.
The answers to the fears many people have in paying their healthcare costs are tax breaks. According to the legal site NOLO.com, these tax breaks are actually government subsidies designed to help people pay for their healthcare. The amount of subsidy a family gets depends on how many people are in the household and the amount of their annual household income. Once again, this is information that changes every year and you need to make your website the one resource that people can rely on for accurate health insurance premium subsidy information to drive traffic.
It Is A Heavy Metal Health Exchange
The HealthCare.gov website breaks plans down by what is called the “metal grading system.” While this system does not involve any wailing guitar solos, it does tend to make it easier for consumers to find the right plan for them. Bronze is the lowest priced plan level, followed by silver, gold and then platinum. But what does this metal enriched grading system really mean and what kind of plans are offered in each part of the country?
While the metal grading system does make it easier to categorize health insurance plans, it does not make it easier to decide which one is right. Does that silver plan in Niagara County, New York allow me to get the tax subsidy I need to be able to afford my premiums? How many bronze plans do I have to choose from if I live in King County, Washington?
While HealthCare.gov answers these questions, it can be difficult for people to find the information they need all in one place. HealthCare.gov tends to be difficult to navigate when it comes to finding information, especially when you are not sure what information you are looking for. Your healthcare website can be a hero by making it easier to understand the metal system and by helping people to determine which plan is best for them.
If you own a healthcare related website, then Obamacare is a gift from heaven. It will take years before people really understand Obamacare and most of the tax subsidies and other financial information changes every year. Just when people think they understand Obamacare, January rolls around and it changes again.
Your healthcare job site or publication website needs to be the Obamacare resource that gives people accurate and updated information. If you target the Obamacare audience, which is every American living in the United States, then you will start to see your traffic numbers shoot through the roof.