Covered California Ramps Up Outreach
As the Jan. 31 deadline for enrollment in health insurance plans approaches, the Covered California health insurance exchange is continuing to push for enrollment among the state's Latinos and Asian-American communities.
The exchange recruited two leading Latino and Asian politicians, Sen. Ed Hernandez, D-Azusa and Assemblymen Rob Bonta, D-Oakland and Kansen Chu, D-San Jose.
Bonta is a Filipino-American, while Chu is a Taiwanese immigrant. Hernandez chairs the Senate Health committee.
“We are teaming up with leaders of Latino and Asian-American communities to make sure that we reach out to everyone who is eligible for coverage,” said Covered California Executive Director Peter V. Lee. “We want to drive home the message that the deadline is coming up and remind consumers that financial help is available through Covered California.”
According to Bonta, “Healthcare is now a right and not just a privilege for the fortunate. Enrolling in Covered California gives people access to the best doctors and hospitals in the state, and that is critical to building strong families and communities.”
Hernandez noted that “the Affordable Care Act has cut California’s uninsured rate in half, and having access to health care is critical to building strong families and communities. Covered California is opening the doors to the best doctors and hospitals in the state, while protecting consumers from the high cost of medical bills and prescription drugs.”
The recruitment of the prominent politicians is part of a multi-step campaign the exchange has undertaken this year to enroll more Asians and Latinos, who are historically underinsured compared to the rest of the state's population. Earlier this month, the exchange teamed up with Latino and Asian physician groups to try and encourage more enrollment.
Lee noted that the exchange has also been reaching out to Asian-Americans through smal insurance agencies, and African-Americans through churches, both of which have strong sway in their respecctive communities.
Covered California also warned that those who do not purchase insurance for 2016 face stiff financial penalties this year, which starts at $695 for a single person household and moves into the thousands of dollars for families.
“That’s money that goes straight to the Internal Revenue Service, and the consumer gets nothing in return,” Lee observed.
More than 238,000 residents had obtain new coverage through December, according to preliminary data released by the exchange. It has yet to release any re-enrollment data.
Covered California projects total enrollment of 2.9 million and 3.48 million by the end of 2016. It had enrolled 1.4 million new and current enrollees during the 2015 open enrollment period.
