Responding to Insurance Rates
The Affordable Care Act created many new health care coverage options for consumers. To ensure these health plans remain affordable, it is critical to address potential rising premium rates. As insurers submit their health plans for 2015, consumer advocates need to hold insurance companies accountable and make sure rates are fair and transparent.
Several state consumer health advocacy organizations around the country have launched successful campaigns to help shine a light on premium increases, pairing strategic messaging, media tools, and grassroots efforts to keep costs fair for consumers.
To support advocacy campaigns to strengthen review of premium rates, Community Catalyst has created this toolkit with the following resources:
Advocacy Materials
- An easy-to-read fact sheet on ‘Rate review – What is it and why does it matter?’
- A bigger-picture ‘Choose Your Own Rate Review Adventure’ campaign tool to help identify what type of effort matches your organization’s resources
- A detailed ‘Launching Your Rate Review Campaign: Strategies, Opportunities, and Outcomes’ to provide examples of different advocacy efforts for your campaign
- Directions on ‘Finding Information on Rate Filings and Determinations in Your State’ and navigating the federal rate review website
Communication Materials
- A template for a press release about rate review
- A template for an op-ed about rate review
- A pitch note to accompany the op-ed
- A template for a Letter to the Editor about rate review
- Some sample social media tweets and Facebook posts