Illinois is mailing information on President Barack Obama's health care law to more than 53,000 homes this week as the campaign reaches into rural areas and small cities.

Officials will monitor phone and website traffic from the targeted areas to see if the pilot project works. The orange fliers say "Enroll now" and tell where to get free help signing up for health insurance from "some of the top carriers in Illinois."

Jennifer Koehler of Get Covered Illinois says rural outreach requires new tactics. She says what works well in Chicago may not work in areas where people are spread out over hundreds of miles.

The mailings are part of a $25.6 million contract to promote health insurance coverage. The money comes from federal grants under the Affordable Care Act.