Washington Healthplanfinder Teams Up with Live Nation to Reach 'Young Invincibles'

Innovative Collaboration Leverages Music and Concerts to Educate about New Health Insurance Options

OLYMPIA, Wash., Jan. 15, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Washington Healthplanfinder today launched an innovative outreach effort with Live Nation, producer of the Sasquatch! Music Festival, to educate music fans at concerts, online and through traditional media with information about the state's new online health insurance marketplace. Washington Healthplanfinder is the new way for residents to find, compare and enroll in health plans and access financial help to lower the cost of coverage.

"By working with Live Nation, we can leverage the affinity and trust that Washington concert-goers, specifically young adults, have for music to bring them information about Washington Healthplanfinder," said Richard Onizuka, Chief Executive Officer for the Washington Health Benefit Exchange. "In our state, 77,000 individuals ages 18 to 34 have already signed up for health coverage through wahealthplanfinder.org and we hope to reach even more young adults through these outreach efforts."

The integrated program will include an interactive presence at select Live Nation concerts across the state and sponsorship of the Sasquatch! Music Festival Launch Party in February 2014. Outreach will also take place through Live Nation's and Sasquatch!'s websites, print and radio advertising and social media channels. The program will run through March 31, 2014, the final day of the first open enrollment period for qualified health plans.

To help engage young adults, Washington Healthplanfinder and Live Nation are launching a sweepstakes on Facebook featuring tickets to the Sasquatch! Music Festival Launch Party at The Neptune Theatre as well as V.I.P. passes to both weekends of the Sasquatch! Music Festival. Washington residents can go to facebook.com/WAHealthplanfinder to "Like" the organization, learn more about new health coverage options and submit an entry form for the sweepstakes.

"Live Nation is excited to work with Washington Healthplanfinder to provide a platform to educate our music fans about the new way to find quality, affordable health coverage," said Jeff Trisler, President of Live Nation Northwest Music. "Our audience matches so well with those Washington Healthplanfinder is trying to reach and this program provides a wealth of information for uninsured and underinsured music fans."

Young adults ages 18 to 34—sometimes referred to as "young invincibles"—are a key audience for Washington Healthplanfinder. While nearly half of the uninsured population in Washington state are young adults,* national studies show that approximately three-quarters of young people believe having insurance is important and want to be covered. The main reason surveyed young adults weren't insured is because they felt they couldn't afford insurance. Washington Healthplanfinder offers new free or low-cost coverage options to more people than ever before.

The collaboration with Live Nation is part of a broader effort targeting young adults that includes outreach on college campuses, digital and social media activity, community activities with youth-focused organizations and tailored advertising. Additional work with a national nonprofit called The Young Invincibles includes a free smartphone application for iPhone and Android, which has recently been updated.**

Live Nation is the largest producer of music events in the world, producing more than 150 events in Washington state each year, reaching hundreds of thousands onsite and millions through media. The Sasquatch! Music Festival last year sold out of all 110,000 tickets in 50 minutes. In 2014, Sasquatch! will expand to two weekends and feature a different lineup of artists each weekend.

*According to a Sept. 2012 study from the Washington State Budget & Policy Center and aJune 2013 Tracking Poll from the Kaiser Family Foundation.

**To download the free mobile application, search for Washington Healthplanfinder in your app store.

For more information about Washington Healthplanfinder, visit wahealthplanfinder.org.

About Washington Healthplanfinder
Washington Healthplanfinder is a new online marketplace for individuals, families and small businesses in Washington to compare and enroll in health insurance coverage and gain access to tax credits, reduced cost sharing and public programs such as Medicaid. Washington Healthplanfinder began enrolling consumers on Oct. 1, 2013, for health insurance coverage beginning on Jan. 1, 2014. The open enrollment period extends through March 31, 2014.

About the Washington Health Benefit Exchange
The Washington Health Benefit Exchange is a public-private partnership established in accordance with the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (ACA) with the goal to redefine people's experience with health care through the creation of a new health insurance marketplace for individuals and small businesses. The Exchange is separate from the state and governed by an independent 11-member board appointed by former Gov. Chris Gregoire in Dec. 2011.

SOURCE Washington Healthplanfinder