News Release
July 1, 2009
HMSA Now leaps from digital cable TV to YouTube
Laura Lott
(808) 952-7566
laura_lott@hmsa.com
The Hawaii Medical Service Association (HMSA) is taking access to health information
to a whole new level. HMSA Now is moving from digital cable television to YouTube
on the Internet to be available to a much larger audience of consumers interested
in healthy living.
Effective July 1, HMSA Now can be found at
YouTube.com/HMSANow. Using any computer with an Internet connection, health
care consumers can access a variety of on-demand health information videos at no
charge 24 hours a day.
“The greatest thing about the move is that HMSA Now will be available to an
unprecedented number of people because most people prefer going online for health
information and videos,” said Michael Stollar, HMSA vice president of Marketing
& Communications. “On YouTube, we’ll reach hundreds of thousands more
people in the community.”
According to recent data from the U.S. Census Bureau, 71 percent of Hawaii residents
live in households with Internet access. The percentage of Hawaii homes currently
wired with digital cable television doesn’t come close to that.
When people visit HMSA Now on YouTube, they will find interesting videos that promote
healthy lifestyles, and talk about disease prevention and health promotion. HMSA
members will find videos that address frequently asked questions about their HMSA
health plan, COBRA coverage, HMSA’s Report to Member, and more.
HMSA Now also features videos from a variety of HMSA community programs and events,
including the HMSA Teen Video Awards Contest, the HMSA Kaimana Awards & Scholarship
program, and the HMSA Island Scene Festival.
One advantage of being on YouTube is that it allows HMSA to incorporate videos into
its Web content on hmsa.com. For example, if someone is on the website reading about
one of HMSA’s community events and there is an appropriate video about it
on HMSA Now, the consumer will merely click a link and be transported to YouTube
where they can watch the video.
Another advantage is the ability to get direct feedback on the public’s usage
of the channel. This will provide HMSA with timely, valuable information about traffic
to the site and usage of the videos.
YouTube is the world’s most popular online video community, allowing millions
of people to discover, watch and share originally created videos. YouTube provides
a forum for people to connect, inform and inspire others across the globe and acts
as a distribution platform for original content creators and advertisers. YouTube
is based in San Bruno, Calif., and was officially launched in December 2005. It
was purchased less than a year later by Google Inc.
HMSA is a nonprofit, mutual benefit association founded in Hawaii in 1938. It is
governed by a community board of directors that includes representatives from health
care, business, labor, government, education, clergy, and the community at large.
HMSA is a member of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, an association of
independent Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans. Nationally, HMSA and 38 other Blue
Cross and Blue Shield plans provide worldwide coverage to more than 100 million
members.
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