MEDIA HIT HIGHLIGHTS APRIL 2015

BY THE NUMBERS  In April, NAHU received more than 640 press hits.  In March, NAHU received more than 500 press hits.  So far in 2015, NAHU has received 1,996 press hits.  In 2014, NAHU received more than 7,600 press hits. *NAHU has a Media Hit Report that tracks nationwide press hits by each state and displays in detail what media coverage we’ve received by month. Review our archive to see what monthly articles mentions NAHU and its chapters.

PRINT MEDIA IN APRIL They’ve [Insurers] boosted customer service staff, run advertising campaigns and, in some cases, even opened retail stores to sell Obamacare plans. Insurance agents and brokers are involved as well, playing a part in an estimated 40 percent of sign-ups, said Jessica Waltman of the National Association of Health Underwriters. “It provides greater flexibility for providers to meet the unique needs of their patients in terms of therapies and how those might change over time, and reflects a strong effort by the payers – primarily health insurers, and indirectly employers and individuals purchasing health insurance – to find a solution that will be cost effective,” David Smith, a past president of the N.C. Association of Health Underwriters said. The findings are no surprise to National Association of Health Underwriters President Tom Harte, who is also founder and president of employee benefits broker Landmark Benefits. “Health insurance is expensive because health care is expensive,” said Harte. “Employers are being faced with an average 20% increase in premiums. They are making decisions on how to absorb those costs.” “Small businesses have more coverage options available to them than ever before—including some new ones created by the Affordable Care Act. Employer-based coverage offers several key advantages to both firms and workers.” -Excerpt from Janet Trautwein’s Opinion-Editorial

SOUND BYTES IN APRIL NAHU’s regional vice president, Linda Rose Koehler, and president of the Los Angeles AHU, Dede Kennedy- Simington, were featured on 89.3 KPCC-FM, which is operated by NPR’s Southern California Public Radio.

POPULAR APRIL SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS Twitter Facebook

IMPORTANCE OF MEDIA COVERAGE We often send these clips to policymakers to alert them of the issues we are facing. The more high-profile media coverage we received, the more attention policymakers will pay to our issues. Media placement means an increased understanding of the issues in the public, both inside and outside the industry. Media attention increases NAHU name recognition and branding. We do not pay for our media placements. All coverage received by our members is free business promotion, which promotes NAHU members as subject-matter experts. Good information and solid sound bytes provided by an NAHU member means other reporters will want to use that member as a resource.