Expected cost overruns for the Obama administration's "Affordable Health Care Act" are kicking in even before the controversial program rolls out.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has earmarked some $200 million for a multimedia marketing campaign to promote Obamacare.
According to government documents obtained by Judicial Watch, HHS' assistant secretary for public affairs issued a series of contracts for public-relations work -- even as a federal judge in Florida declared Obamacare unconstitutional.
On March 14, HHS retained the Ogilvy Group to "provide services to design, develop and execute a multiplatform educational media campaign to promote the new website, Healthcare.gov, including the new Spanish language version of the website."
The total amount of the contract award: $3,998,928.
The Ogilvy contract "task order" outlines the genesis and purpose of the Healthcare.gov website:
"To accompany such a monumental piece of legislation, the law charged the Department of Health and Human Services with the creation of a website to aide [sic] Americans about the health insurance coverage options available to them."
The Ogilvy contract also describes the audiences that will receive "targeted messaging" during the campaign: "Hispanic-Americans, African-Americans, young people, women/mothers." Not coincidentally, all are considered key demographics for the Obama re-election campaign.
According to the Ogilvy contract, HHS sought to receive "media training" in "controlling your message," "handling hostile interviews," "artful repetition," "identifying loaded questions" and "being persuasive."
The HHS' "statement of work" goes on to detail psychological tactics and strategies:
"Health and program-related messages are processed by the target audience according to a particular reality, which he or she experiences. Attitudes, feelings, values, needs, desires, behaviors and beliefs all play a part in the individual's decision to accept information and make a behavioral change. It is by understanding the importance of these characteristics that health and program-related messages can be targeted to the beneficiary in effective ways."
The media campaign follows another taxpayer-funded media campaign from HHS.
The administration spent $3,184,000 to produce and air spots on national television in September and October 2010 to educate "Medicare beneficiaries, caregivers and family members about forthcoming changes to Medicare as a result of the Affordable Care Act."
But FactCheck.org, a project of the University of Pennsylvania's Annenberg Public Policy Center, determined that the advertisements, which featured actor Andy Griffith, intentionally misinformed the public.
"There is nothing educational about this Obamacare propaganda campaign to force 'behavioral changes' on Americans.These records prove the administration is using taxpayer dollars to manipulate public opinion," said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton.
"It also appears the Obama administration is trying to get a leg-up in the re-election campaign by targeting key Obama constituencies with positive and misleading messages about the president's 'signature' policy initiative," Fitton said.
U.S. Sen. Charles Grassley took a similarly dim view of the media massaging. The Iowa Republican called the online gambit "state-sponsored propaganda."
Ironically, HHS spending is ramping up even as Obamacare suffered a crucial defeat in U.S. District Court. Judge Roger Vinson sided with Florida and 25 other states in ruling that the law's "personal mandate" requiring the purchase of health insurance was unconstitutional. Administration lawyers have appealed that decision to the 11th Circuit Court of Appeal.
Psycho-political and legal ramifications aside, others question the value of HHS shelling out $3.9 million just to "promote" a government website. Such outlays have GOP budget hawks wondering if the administration is digging a fiscal black hole of unknown depth.
According to the documents obtained by Judicial Watch, HHS "is unable to provide a definitive government cost estimate" of its projected media outlays.
But with $200 million to spend, the department pushes ahead, noting, "Campaigns vary is [sic] size and scope. Some campaigns involve radio, some TV, and some print. Other campaigns may involve all of those avenues plus on ground events, website, bus tours, etc."
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Contact Kenric Ward at kward@sunshinestatenews.com or (772) 801-5341.
