Covered California Grants $37 Million
Covered California, the government entity that operates the state health insurance exchange, announced on Wednesday it was granting $37 million to a variety of community organization to encourage outreach and education in order to boost enrollment in health insurance plans.
As many as 5.3 million Californians are eligible to purchase healthcare benefits from the insurance exchange, officials say, with half or more receiving federal income tax subsidies in order to do so.
However, a number of policy experts have expressed concern that if the Affordable Care Act is rolled out in a vacuum, enrollment numbers will fall greatly short of expectations, leaving many uninsured residents to drive up healthcare costs.
Some $34 million in grants were awarded to hospitals, governmental entities and community organizations that are expected to reach as many as 9 million Californians via grassroots efforts. Another $3 million was awarded with the aim of reaching small businesses.
“We are excited to build on our partnerships with organizations that have trusted relationships in diverse communities throughout the state,” said Peter V. Lee, executive director of Covered California. “Together, we can significantly strengthen our effort to ensure as many Californians as possible are aware of and are enrolled in the new health insurance options this fall for coverage beginning Jan. 1, 2014.”
The grants range in size from $250,000 to $1.25 million. The largest grant recipient is the university auxiliary services at Cal State Los Angeles, which said it would communicate the benefits of the exchange via student and faculty events.
Catholic Charities of California received an $859,000 grant, which would be used for one-on-one and group education at its various sites. A variety of community clinics and affiliated association received grants. Among them are the Central Valley Health Network, which runs a dozen clinics in mostly rural parts of California. It received $750,000 to provide educational presentations and door-to-door canvassing of businesses.
Hospital recipients included Loma Linda University Medical Center in San Bernardino County, which received $990,000, the Saint Francis Medical Center Foundation in Lynwood, which received $750,000, and Anaheim Regional Medical Center, which received $500,000. They intend to use patient contacts and events such as college fairs as part of their outreach plans.
