FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
December 3, 2013
Contact: Colin Seeberger, colin.seeberger@
Grand Prize Winner and Finalists Announced In Young Invincibles’ Healthy Young America Video Contest
More Than 30,000 Votes Were Cast During the Contest’s Public Voting Period
[WASHINGTON]—Last night, Young Invincibles and the Department of Health and Human Services announced the grand prize winner of the Healthy Young America Video Contest. Grand prize winner Erin McDonald was awarded an additional $2,000 for her Perform a Song video after a ten day public voting phase determined the first, second, and third place finalists. The First Runner Up is Maggie Ditre for her Animation Category video, and the Second Runner Up is Travis Grenier for his You Aren’t Invincible Video.
Actor and former White House staffer Kal Penn made the announcement during a live Google+ Hangout, previewing the White House Youth Summit taking place this Wednesday. Hangout participants also took part in a “Young Adults & the ACA” Q&A moderated by Penn.
The winners:
| Place | Name | Location | Theme | Video |
| Grand Prize Winner | Erin McDonald | Chicago, IL | Perform a Song | Forget About the Price Tag |
| First Runner Up | Maggie Ditre | New Haven, CT | Animation | Getting the Big Picture |
| Second Runner Up | Travis Grenier | Roanoke, VA | You Aren’t Invincible | Nobody’s Invincible |
“We are excited to announce the Grand Prize Winner and Finalists for Healthy Young America Video Contest. We thank all of the participants for entering the contest and telling their friends and family about the quality and affordable coverage available in the Health Insurance Marketplace through their creative videos,” said Anton Gunn, Director for External Affairs at the Department of Health and Human Services.
Young Invincibles’ Executive Director Aaron Smith praised the Contest’s winner, “We would like to congratulate Erin for winning the Healthy Young America Video Contest’s grand prize. It was inspiring to see the amazing creativity and passion of participants from across the country, creating and sharing health care videos by young people and for young people. Erin’s video beautifully conveys why having health care coverage is essential to our health and economic security and why the Affordable Care Act is so important for this generation.”
The Healthy Young America Video Contest launched in August as an effort to educate young people about their new affordable options under the Affordable Care Act and the importance of having health care coverage. Videos were entered in the Contest’s three categories—You Are Not Invincible, Perform a Song, and Animation—throughout a five-week submission period in hopes of winning some of the $30,000 in prizes.
Consumers have until March 31 to sign up for coverage, but to be covered for January 1, Marketplace users should select a plan by December 23. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently estimated that nearly 6 out of 10 uninsured Americans could be able to access low-cost, high value health insurance for under $100 per person per month starting in 2014.
The public can now research, apply for, and enroll in coverage on the new Health Insurance Marketplaces atHealthcare.gov. Shoppers can also use go to localhelp.Healthcare.gov to work with a local partner to walk through the enrollment process in-person or call toll free 1-800-318-2596 to get help from a trained customer service representative.
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Young Invincibles is a national organization committed to amplifying the voices of young adults, ages 18 to 34, and expanding economic opportunity for our generation. Young Invincibles ensures that young adults are represented in today’s most pressing societal debates through cutting-edge policy research and analysis, and innovative campaigns designed to educate, inform and mobilize our generation to change the status quo.