The Challenge
The Employers' Coalition on Medicare (ECOM), comprised of Fortune 500 companies and major trade associations who support access to quality health care and prescription drugs for Medicare beneficiaries, saw significant threats to the manner in which companies could provide benefits to retirees. The coalition wanted to ensure universal, flexible and comprehensive Medicare reform without mandates on employers that could hurt their business, employees and retirees.
The Solution
To assist ECOM's efforts, APCO created and implemented a communication campaign to encourage the U.S. Congress and the Bush Administration to pass and sign into law Medicare reform legislation that reflected the goals of large employers.
The strategy included:
- Conducting focus groups and research to refine the coalition's message
- Developing creative, strategically placed advertisements in newspapers targeting influential members of the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate
- Briefing and maintaining communication with key reporters covering the raging debate
- Contributing to lobbying efforts by providing strategic counsel and intelligence based on contacts within Congress, the White House and government
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The Result
The Medicare reform and drug benefit law passed in 2003 reflects the objectives of ECOM and includes a drug benefit for senior citizens and retirees provided by Medicare. In partnership with ECOM's outreach capacity, APCO was able to complement the coalition's efforts with a high-impact communication program. APCO's ability to balance the coalition members' interests, while quickly placing creative advertisements and conducting media relations, contributed significantly to the achievement of the coalition's goals. As a result of this debate, ECOM has become recognized as a key force in advocating for reform and a Medicare drug benefit.
Services Provided
- Branding
- Coalition building
- Creative services
- Government relations
- Issue management
- Media relations
- Opinion research
View all APCO services
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The communication services of APCO contributed in a very strong manner
to the success of the Employers' Coalition on Medicare. In the middle of the
Medicare reform and drug benefit fight, APCO was able to move quickly to
address our communication, media relations and advertising needs.
