New Kaiser Family Foundation Animation Explains Changes Coming for Americans Under Obamacare

"The YouToons Get Ready For Obamacare" Follows Up On 2010 Video "Health Reform Hits Main Street"

MENLO PARK, Calif., July 18, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- 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" 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 also 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 October 1, 2013.  A Spanish-language version of the video will be released in the future.

The animation was developed to inform and educate Americans about what will – and what will not – change under the ACA. The April 2013 Kaiser Health Tracking Poll found that 42 percent of Americans were unaware that the ACA is still the law of the land, and about half of the public said they did not have enough information about the health reform law to understand how it would impact their own family.

"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 Kaiser Family Foundation President Drew Altman. "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 www.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 health care reform. Other Foundation health reform resources include a health insurance subsidy calculator, an interactive ACA implementation timeline, frequently asked questions, and a ten-question quiz about the law. The Foundation will be producing new consumer-friendly informational materials to explain the ACA as implementation of the law proceeds. Additionally, the Foundation's news service, Kaiser Health News, will work with partner news organizations to cover implementation and explain the law.

The Kaiser Family Foundation, a leader in health policy analysis, health journalism and communication, is dedicated to filling the need for trusted, independent information on the major health issues facing our nation and its people. The Foundation is a non-profit private operating foundation, based in Menlo Park, California.

SOURCE Kaiser Family Foundation