Lately it's been hard to let a day go by without following the next intrigue on Obamacare. At this point, it's probably fair to say there isn't a living soul who considers the website a success. And while I'll refrain from expressing a point of view on the legislation itself or on the details of project planning or technical competency, I did want to dig deeper to understand the nature of the "complexity" that has marred the heart of Obamacare-the exchange. After all, there are many technologically complex data exchanges that we depend on-airline traffic management, ticketing, loan offers on …

What does it take to be a good patient marketer? There is no one background that makes a person a perfect fit for healthcare marketing. Certainly a good education, including within the discipline of marketing, is a good start. But I have seen successful patient marketers with a wide variety of backgrounds. Yes, they all have a serious work ethic, a sharp mind, a willingness to learn, and some rock solid skills, but they also typically have a few less obvious areas of strength that really distinguishes them. Here are four areas to consider as you start or continue your …

A trend in pharma is to create unbranded campaigns with a measurable call to action, most often a phone call or click to a website. These campaigns focus on providing disease awareness, education and resources with the goal of starting a dialogue with patients that can grow over time.

With the furor over the Affordable Care Act continuing unabated, it's easy to forget that healthcare is about much more than legislation and arguments over who will be responsible for paying the nation's ever-increasing medical bills.

Think back to five years ago. Would the words "probiotics" or kale have been at the tip of your tongue? Chances are, the answer is no. But both offer good illustrations of how our dietary-focused culture is increasingly adopting new types of specialty nutritional foods and supplements for their perceived health benefits. The typical consumer is no longer confined to "granola eaters" - and dietary supplements are now clearly mainstream ... and big business.

With high mobile health usage across channels, similar usage patterns to patients in health care settings, and a large stake in care decisions themselves, you need to make sure that the caregiver is considered appropriately when developing your mobile brand approach.

The Affordable Care Act's centerpiece-the Healthcare Marketplace-has officially rolled out. Perhaps you've heard it hasn't gone over with rave reviews. From IT woes to administration "miscommunication," the end-users-consumers-have been vocal about their disappointment. Although I fully believe the marketplace technology will be fixed, unfortunately the damage has been done. But as with every misstep, there are valuable lessons to be learned. See below four marketing "T"enets-emphasis on the T-that were violated and how marketers need to uphold them at all costs.

Like politics, healthcare marketing is often a local affair. In most areas, the battle for health system market share and brand strength is waged among competitors with high levels of familiarity regarding each other's strategies, approaches and tactics. With such an intimate, up-close perspective on brands and their communications, it's surprising to see similar battles playing out across markets. Health system brand archetypes that have withstood the test of time and are present in many markets include "the Caregiver" (focusing on compassionate care), "the Sage" (the leader in medical expertise) and "the Everyman" (leveraging scale and access).

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) train has left the station - leaving health plans racing to overcome challenges ranging from B2C outreach to mandates and penalties.