Cosmo plans Obamacare focus for U.S. readers this fall

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Obamacare doesn't divulge the secrets of sexual arousal and won't give you the glowing complexion of a goddess.

But those shortcomings aside, President Barack Obama's landmark healthcare reform law will still feature prominently in forthcoming issues of the Cosmopolitan - the sexy, gossipy, glamour magazine that boasts a monthly U.S. readership of more than 18 million young women.

Editor-in-Chief Joanna Coles told Reuters on Wednesday that Cosmo plans to make Obamacare an integral part of its regular health coverage this fall and in 2014 to explain reform benefits ranging from free contraceptives and cancer screenings to subsidized private health insurance.

The magazine will also use Facebook and Twitter to remind readers about enrollment opportunities in new online health insurance exchanges, which are being set up under Obama's Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to extend coverage to millions of uninsured people.

"This stuff is really important. It's life-changing for a lot of people," Coles said in an interview.

"The Affordable Care Act probably disproportionately benefits our readers, because they're women between 17 and 38, who may be thinking of having children or who want contraception and regular checkups with their doctors."

Administration officials hope the publicity will help persuade its target audience of young uninsured women and their male partners to sign up for health insurance during a six-month enrollment period slated to run from October 1 to March 31, 2014.

The White House says it has no formal publicity agreement with Cosmopolitan. But Coles met with senior Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett last week at the White House, which is in discussions with potential Obamacare promoters including the National Football League, as it prepares for a full-scale public education campaign this fall.

(Reporting by David Morgan; Editing by Leslie Gevirtz)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/cosmo-plans-obamacare-focus-u-readers-fall-224919124.html

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