Campaign Overview

Congressional Briefing

December 1, 2004

Long Term Care Awareness CampaignLong Term Care Awareness Campaign

Own Your Future!Own Your Future!

Campaign ContextCampaign Context• The long-term care needs of baby boomers may

overwhelm Medicaid’s pay-as-you-go financing

• Tightening Medicaid eligibility policy alone will not provide sufficient funds or motivate consumers to plan ahead

• Paradigm Shift: From more invasive eligibility screens and benefit reductions towards increased consumer awareness, coupled with new financing options with incentives

Campaign Goals Campaign Goals • Increased awareness about what

Medicare does and does not cover

• Better understanding of the strengths and limitations of Medicaid coverage

• Promote planning, while not endorsing any specific planning activity

• Suggest that planning for long-term care should be viewed as an integral part of retirement planning

Target Market: TweenersTarget Market: Tweeners• Among boomers are an indeterminate

number of “tweeners”, those for whom planning makes the difference between Medicaid and private pay

• Planning ahead by Tweeners may increase private resources available for long-term care and reduce demand for public funds

• Influencing how Tweeners plan (or not) is the problem we are tying to solve

Campaign Sponsors Campaign Sponsors

• U.S. Dept Health and Human Services– Assistant Secretary Planning Evaluation – Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services– U.S. Administration on Aging

• Partners:– National Governors Association– National Conference State Legislatures

• Contractors:– Medstat– Long Term Care Group

Major ComponentsMajor Components

1. Letter from the Governor to every state resident aged 50–70 (approx 2.5 million)

2. Governor’s press conference to “kick-off” campaign

3. Paid media (TV and/or radio)

4. Dissemination of LTC planning “Tool Kit”

5. SHIP program grants

6. Follow-up postcard

““Own Your Future” MaterialsOwn Your Future” Materials• Initial Mailing

– Invitational letter from the Governor– Tri-fold brochure

• Public Service Announcement– Television Shortcut to CMS_Mpeg_1_320[1].mpeg– Radio

• Tool Kit– Thank you letter from the Governor– Planning and reference booklet– Audio CD with 11 segments

• Follow-up postcard

Transition to State/FederalTransition to State/Federal

• Initial campaign planned as federal campaign with no state participation

• Advantages of working with states:– Combined state/federal message– Message provides overall financing

information and local resources

Participating StatesParticipating States

ARAR

NVNV

IDIDNJNJ

VAVA

SHIP GrantsSHIP Grants• State Health Insurance Program provides

volunteer insurance counseling• Grants of between $150,000 and $300,000

provided to each participating state• Grant designed to bolster volunteer

capacity related to long-term care insurance

• Additional training for volunteers • Designation of LTC insurance “experts”

Campaign TimetableCampaign Timetable• Governors Press Conferences

– January 1 thru 25th

• Governors Initial Mailing– Scheduled to arrive same week as press conference

• Media Buy– Scheduled to begin around first week in February– Will run 8 weeks

• Follow-up Post Card– Scheduled to be mailed middle of February

Evaluation StrategyEvaluation Strategy

• Campaign was not designed as a full scale demonstration

• Establish reasonable expectations for Campaign impact

• Alter Campaign elements so as to detect differences in response

• Conduct baseline and follow-up surveys• Gather data administrative data from

several sources to augment analysis

Research QuestionsResearch Questions

1. What were the baseline attitudes of the target group towards of long-term care planning?

2. Was the campaign effective in changing attitudes and/or in raising awareness related to the need to plan ahead for long-term care?

3. What aspects of the campaign appear to have been most successful?

Data SourcesData Sources• Baseline survey of target market in

each state

• Follow-up survey once campaign is completed

• Call center data collection on consumer requests for tool kits

• SHIP data collection on requests for counseling

Next StepsNext Steps

• Assess evaluation findings– To the extent possible, determine which aspects of

the Campaign appear to have most effective

• Develop ways for working with states on a broader basis (assumes available funds)– Reasonable process for sharing costs– Refine ways to blend state and federal messages

and resources– Consider adding material to portfolio of approved

Medicare publications

For More Information:For More Information:

www.LTCaware.infowww.LTCaware.info

or or1-866-planltc (starting 1/1/05)1-866-planltc (starting 1/1/05)

Long Term Care Awareness Campaign

Own Your Future!