Covered California Announces Lease for Fresno Service Center
Center Set to Open in November; Hiring Under Way to Fill 280
Positions by Year’s End
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Covered California™ announced it has
signed a lease agreement for its Fresno Service Center location.
California’s new health benefit exchange will employ up to
300 full-time and part-time workers at the center, located at 7201 N. Palm Ave.
It is one of three sites statewide for representatives to take phone calls from
consumers. Additional positions may be added next year, depending on consumer
demand.
Covered California will start moving in and installing
technology on Sept. 9. Hiring is under way for the initial wave of 158 jobs,
with a six-week employee training program beginning in October. The site will
open for business in mid-November.
Projected employment at the Fresno site will be 280 by the
end of the year. The state employees will be trained to answer questions about
Covered California and to enroll residents in health insurance plans through
the exchange, as well as refer some Californians to Medi-Cal.
The 52,000-square-foot building previously was a call
center, which will expedite startup of the Service Center. The building has an
open-floor design, with generous natural lighting, training rooms, break rooms
and a covered outdoor patio. It has ample free parking and is close to bus
lines, restaurants and shops.
Two other Covered California Service Centers, in Rancho
Cordova and Concord, are set to take general inquiry calls on Aug. 26. By the
time the marketplace launches Oct. 1, Covered California expects that 442
Service Center representatives will be working at the two centers and another
253 people will be working as management, back office and quality assurance
staff.
About Covered California
Covered California is the state’s marketplace for the federal
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Covered California was charged with
creating a new health insurance marketplace in which individuals and small
businesses can get access to affordable health insurance plans. With coverage
starting in 2014, Covered California will help individuals compare health
insurance plans and choose the plan that works best for their health needs and
budget. A sliding scale of financial subsidies in the form of premium
assistance will be available to help reduce costs for people who qualify.
Small businesses will be able to purchase competitively
priced health insurance plans and offer their employees the ability to choose
from an array of plans and may qualify for federal tax credits.
Covered California is an independent part of the state government
whose job is to make the new market work for California’s consumers. It is overseen
by a five-member board appointed by the Governor and the Legislature. For more
information on Covered California, please visit www.CoveredCA.com.