We are putting the principles of the digital government strategy into practice at HealthCare.gov. Earlier this year we released the HealthCare Finder API. We are now moving forward with consumer-friendly improvements to our email newsletter efforts.
In mid-November, HealthCare.gov made the following changes to our GovDelivery e-newsletter efforts:
- Your Feedback: We added six new topics to our email updates list based on consumer feedback and frequently asked questions.
- Plain Language: We followed plain language best practices to rewrite all 16 topic names and descriptions.
- Mobile-Ready: Our subscribers now have the option to receive updates by text message on their mobile device.
- Shared Services: We leveraged the GovDelivery Network to promote our best topics as featured content. During the sign-up process, users are prompted to subscribe to related topics from across HHS and the federal government.
The results since November 14th have been dramatic:
From October 14 to November 7: We received nearly 7,500 new subscriptions.
From November 14 to December 7: We received more than 40,000 new subscriptions.
That’s an increase of 440% from the previous reporting period.
And more changes are coming! We are kicking off a month-long testing effort to improve the content of our email newsletters. We hope to begin using better email templates that provide a great user experience on your desktop, tablet, and smartphone. Soon you may be able to sign up for updates by texting us.
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