Hospitals, Policy

Would you like health insurance to go with your donut burger?

The most popular giveaway at the Kentucky State Fair this weekend was from Kynect, the […]

The most popular giveaway at the Kentucky State Fair this weekend was from Kynect, the state’s health insurance marketplace.

The reusable shopping bag was everywhere — the midway, the chicken barn, the fair food corridor and the 4-H exhibits. Many of the target customers of the marketplace were carrying the blue bag: single parents, older adults, white and black folks. I didn’t notice many young invincibles with the bag. I was at the fair on Sunday afternoon, so either this was not prime time for young adults to visit the fair, or they aren’t interested in reusable shopping bags.

After I found the cow masks (the other hot tchotchke of the day) for my sons, we went to the exhibit halls to find the health pavilion (yes, there was one and it was quite large). Right in front of the exhibit building, the latest disgusting fair food invention: the donut burger. (Ironies were everywhere during our trip.)

The booth was very simple and when I walked up, the woman at the table said, “If you know anyone who needs health insurance, tell them to check out Kynect.”

The bag was a smart choice for promoting the marketplace and the marketing campaign overall is modern looking and appealing. My favorite graphic detail of the small brochure was the Web address on the side of a tobacco barn — a familiar context for an entirely new service.

The whole Louisville healthcare crew was at the fair, including the educational colon.

Humana had a truck full of health information and screenings.

KentuckyOne Health hosted not only the educational colon but a big blow-up heart that had kids running through it constantly.
I certainly saw more Kynect bags than donut burgers, so maybe that’s a hopeful sign for the exchange and access to healthcare for Kentuckians.

Veronica Combs

Veronica is an independent journalist and communications strategist. For more than 10 years, she has covered health and healthcare with a focus on innovation and patient engagement. Most recently she managed strategic partnerships and communications for AIR Louisville, a digital health project focused on asthma. The team recruited 7 employer partners, enrolled 1,100 participants and collected more than 250,000 data points about rescue inhaler use. Veronica has worked for startups for almost 20 years doing everything from launching blogs, newsletters and patient communities to recruiting speakers, moderating panel conversations and developing new products. You can reach her on Twitter @vmcombs.

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