Kentuckians may be seeing fewer ads for the state health exchange ushered in under former Gov. Steve Beshear. An advertising contract with Louisville ad company Doe-Anderson has lapsed – with no plans no renewal plans on the horizon.
The Courier-Journal reports the award-winning, federally-funded kynect ad campaign developed by the agency expired on November 30. Efforts by the outgoing Beshear administration to extend the contract through the Cabinet for Health and Family Services fell through, though it’s unclear why.
While the rejection is unrelated to Gov. Matt Bevin’s pledge to dismantle the exchange, Bevin spokesperson Jessica Ditto tells the Louisville paper there “doesn’t appear to be any legal basis to continue the contract.”
Doe-Anderson oversaw the creation of the kynect brand, which utilized colorful, animated images to advertise and educate Kentuckians about the insurance portal. Some health advocates worry yanking the campaign midway through open enrollment, which ends on January 31, could leave Kentuckians less informed about their options.
