Communicating Health Reform

Corporate communicators would serve themselves well to pop the alka-seltzer now and begin educating themselves and their employee base about health care reform. Communicating the inner workings of health care reform can make the most senior Washington insider nauseous, much less a public relations professional. “It is an ugly set of circumstances,” remarked Jeff Kimbell, President Jeffrey J. Kimbell & Associates, a Washington-based healthcare consultant. Kimbell, Dr. James Rohack, President and Director of the American Medical Association (AMA) and Dr. Dan Stultz President/Chief Executive Officer of Texas Health Resources participated on a panel and discussed key components of health care reform.

All agreed the time is now to engage the process. Involving your staff today will help alleviate possible misunderstandings and concerns when changes are made to how the government and your organization provide health care coverage. Helping people feel a part of the conversation now will benefit your company later when changes are made. Don’t let employees depend on reports from the media or water cooler gossip.

• Send an e-mail to staff and include the following recommended web sites listed below for the salient details. Include important milestone events in your newsletter.

         http://www.ama.org/
         http://www.hsreform.org/
         http://healthreform.kff.org/

• Hold a town hall meeting and invite elected officials so they can receive feedback from members of your organization.
• According to Rohack, the AMA would like health care reform to include incentives for those who make positive lifestyle choices. Consider forming a committee of employees and form a wellness program.

With just a small amount of effort you can begin providing information and gaining awareness of possible changes that will help clear up the fog of medicine-head confusion that is likely to follow the final health care reform changes.