Obama administration highlights 'sweet sixteen' bracket full of reasons to get health insurance

The White House is hoping to attract the interest of young people in the health law's coverage options by using unorthodox approaches such as linking insurance to March Madness and reaching out to "digital influencers."  

The Wall Street Journal: Obama's Health-Care Pitch Takes Quirky Route
The White House is counting on cat videos, college basketball and a dancing first lady to help persuade young people to sign up for health coverage under the Affordable Care Act. President Barack Obama's appearance on the mock talk show "Between Two Ferns" last week drew wide notice and millions of views. The online parody, it turns out, was part of a broader effort that has resulted in Mr. Obama and the first lady chatting up quirky radio DJs and self-proclaimed "digital influencers" on YouTube (McCain Nelson, 3/17).

USA Today: Obama Team Unveils 'Sweet 16' Health Care Bracket
Seeking to reach young people who will be watching a lot of tournament basketball in the next three weeks, the Obama administration Monday unveiled its own "Sweet 16" reasons to sign up for health care (Jackson, 3/17).

CBS News: White House Harnesses March Madness To Promote Obamacare
In a last-ditch effort to appeal to the young and uninsured ahead of the March 31 deadline, the White House is modeling their final weeks of promoting the law after the NCAA March Madness basketball tournament. Starting on Monday, the administration will release a "bracket" called "16 Sweetest Reasons to Get Covered" and encourage people to vote for the best reasons. Along with the bracket, they'll push out a video featuring "two of the most recognized coaches in college basketball talking about the importance of getting health insurance and making sure consumers know about the upcoming March 31st deadline," according to a White House official (Kaplan, 3/17).