In 1999, 6.8 million Californians under age 65 were uninsured. According to recent estimates nearly 74 percent of the uninsured populations are adults (5 million) and 1.86 million are children. More than two-thirds of uninsured children are eligible for the Healthy Families program or Medi-Cal. Although the state spends nearly $21 million annually to advertise both programs, these children are not enrolled.

Families that are eligible for Medi-Cal and Healthy Families have a choice. They can enroll in a public program, or they can defer treatment and get care when they need it in an emergency room or pay out-of-pocket. Just the same as choosing dish soap or toothpaste, families make decisions about whether to enroll in Medi-Cal based on their needs, preferences, and their perceptions about the product.

Companies marketing consumer goods like soap and toothpaste spend time and money on research to understand what it will take for the public to buy their products. Could applying private sector market research strategies to public health programs improve the enrollment numbers?

Recognizing that lessons could be learned from market research techniques about how to market the Medi-Cal and Healthy Families programs, the California HealthCare Foundation commissioned Eric Marder Associates, Inc. to conduct the same market research used by Fortune 500 companies.

Interviews were held throughout California between November 1999 and February 2000 with 2,066 families that were eligible for, but not enrolled in, either program.

This study contains the findings of the marketing surveys. Participants were asked about:

• How they would like to meet their families’ health care needs (free clinics, private health insurance, etc.);
• Characteristics of the Medi-Cal and Healthy Families programs that they liked or disliked;
• Their perceptions about the Medi-Cal and Healthy Families programs; and
• Hypothetical questions (for example, what if enrolling in Medi-Cal was quick and easy?).

The results of this research give insight into the perceptions of the eligible but not enrolled individuals and point to key beliefs that affect decision-making. They also give a clear direction for setting priorities for both program improvements and advertising messages.

The full report can be found under Document Downloads below.