It’s perplexing to me how those who designed Obamacare
did not accurately evaluate the market
they would ultimately have to rely on for its success. The Millennials.
The creators of this bureaucratic healthcare machine had access to the greatest
minds in the areas of marketing, branding, technology, cultural studies and
framing the debate. Therefore, it’s befuddling
how and why they did not cover all their bases sufficiently to ensure our
buy-in.
The Millennials’ participation in the
healthcare exchange is part of the necessary equation to make the system
succeed. In a sense, we are the oxygen to the body: without it, the body dies. An
article from UnitedLiberty.org notes: “…the administration is relying on a number
of young people to sign-up for coverage on the Obamacare exchanges to balance
costs of older and unhealthy people who enroll.” My question then is - if Millennials
are necessary for its full success, is it possible that Millennials lack of buy-in could lead to an end of
Obamacare – altogether?
If President Obama and his colleagues did include
Millennials in the design stage, they most assuredly did not listen to or
implement our suggestions to the project. As this young author highlights, there is a
difference between studying Millennials and actually having them at the table
for insight and participation, to influence the end product. Judging by the
muddy predicament Obamacare is in right now – I’m fairly confident our
involvement was disregarded and simply put – not wanted.
Those writing the strategic plan on implementing Obama’s
healthcare should have understood these pre-requisites for Millennials. Because
these items were not accomplished tells me they really didn’t do their homework:
Millennials
need to want healthcare bad enough to take the journey to get it. The lingo of President Obama and his team’s narrative
has captured our emotions – i.e. Millennials
would say healthcare is a right because everyone should have access to great
care. But, to a live-by-the-moment generation, the distance between buying into
an emotional talking point and then doing what needs to be done so it comes to
fruition is very far between. When it comes time, as it has now, for us to take
our emotional buy in (everyone deserves healthcare) and put it into action through
a long, tedious process, this requires more of us than we want to give. We have
many strengths, but understanding the trajectory implications of buying into a
giddy-feel-good talking point is not one of them. Yet.
If healthcare is “given” to everyone that means it
impacts the pocket book of a Millennial. But, by our own weakness, we have not
counted the long term cost to us that healthcare for “everyone” will require.
This Rare article says: “Bottom line — with an increasingly choked
job market, rising health-insurance premiums, compromised personal records and
decreased work hours — young Americans want nothing to do with Obama’s spoonful
of ‘medicine.’” Aka – we do not want Obamacare.
Millennials
need to need healthcare. The
President’s team has not convinced us of our own personal “need” for Obamacare.
And, who wants something they already
have? President Obama’s big government has provided the luxury that Millennials
can skirt by on our parents’ insurance until we are 26 years old! Our desire for
individualism and freedom from our parents is not that great that we’ll take on an un-necessary burden to pay for our
own healthcare! President Obama is trying to sell us something we frankly don’t
need. (And for the Millennials who are over this age bracket? Consider all the
other points in this piece to explain their dis-interest.)
Millennials
are health conscience via natural means, not through health insurance. We are more likely to be in good health because of our
youth, but also because of our own personal interest and responsibility. This generation is working hard to be very aware of our bodies and strive to live healthier lifestyles including working hard to eat healthier (i.e. changing to gluten free diets, eating organic etc.). Marketing executives and restaurant management with Subway and Tim Hortons for example, understand they must tweak their approach, the options on the menu, the portion size – if they are going to solicit our business.
With those trying to “sell” us government healthcare, it’s as though they are trying to convince us we should make a winter coat, when in reality we live year round in tropical paradise. Their idea is illogical!